Determinants of Pet-Friendly Tourism Behavior: An Empirical Analysis from Chile

Pet tourism has experienced significant growth in recent years, reflecting changes in the perception of pets as family members. This research examines the factors influencing attitude, travel intention, and payment intention in pet tourism in Chile, specifically analyzing the role of emotional attac...

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Main Authors: Iván Veas-González, Manuel Escobar-Farfán, Nelson Carrión-Bósquez, Jorge Bernal-Peralta, Elizabeth Emperatriz García-Salirrosas, Sofía Romero-Contreras, Camila Díaz-Díaz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Animals
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/12/1741
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author Iván Veas-González
Manuel Escobar-Farfán
Nelson Carrión-Bósquez
Jorge Bernal-Peralta
Elizabeth Emperatriz García-Salirrosas
Sofía Romero-Contreras
Camila Díaz-Díaz
author_facet Iván Veas-González
Manuel Escobar-Farfán
Nelson Carrión-Bósquez
Jorge Bernal-Peralta
Elizabeth Emperatriz García-Salirrosas
Sofía Romero-Contreras
Camila Díaz-Díaz
author_sort Iván Veas-González
collection DOAJ
description Pet tourism has experienced significant growth in recent years, reflecting changes in the perception of pets as family members. This research examines the factors influencing attitude, travel intention, and payment intention in pet tourism in Chile, specifically analyzing the role of emotional attachment, perceived benefits, prestige, and novelty. Using a quantitative methodology, data were collected through an online survey of pet owners in Chile. The results reveal that perceived benefits and novelty positively influence attitudes toward traveling with pets, while prestige and perceived benefits directly impact travel intention. Surprisingly, emotional attachment did not show a significant influence, which contrasts with previous studies in other cultural contexts. This research also confirms that attitude and travel intention are relevant predictors of willingness to pay more for pet-friendly tourism services. These findings contribute to the literature on pet tourism in Latin America and provide practical implications for developing tourism services tailored to the Chilean market. This study concludes that marketing strategies in the tourism sector should emphasize tangible benefits and novel elements rather than emotional aspects to attract this growing market segment.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2076-2615
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Animals
spelling doaj-art-2564b0656730424ab613ef5eee5686af2025-08-20T03:26:53ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152025-06-011512174110.3390/ani15121741Determinants of Pet-Friendly Tourism Behavior: An Empirical Analysis from ChileIván Veas-González0Manuel Escobar-Farfán1Nelson Carrión-Bósquez2Jorge Bernal-Peralta3Elizabeth Emperatriz García-Salirrosas4Sofía Romero-Contreras5Camila Díaz-Díaz6Departamento de Administración, Facultad de Economía y Administración, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta 1270709, ChileDepartment of Administration, Faculty of Administration and Economics, University of Santiago of Chile (USACH), Santiago 9170020, ChileDepartamento de Administración, Facultad de Economía y Administración, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta 1270709, ChileFacultad de Administración y Economía, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica 1000007, ChileFaculty of Management Science, Universidad Autónoma del Perú, Lima 15842, PeruDepartamento de Administración, Facultad de Economía y Administración, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta 1270709, ChileDepartamento de Administración, Facultad de Economía y Administración, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta 1270709, ChilePet tourism has experienced significant growth in recent years, reflecting changes in the perception of pets as family members. This research examines the factors influencing attitude, travel intention, and payment intention in pet tourism in Chile, specifically analyzing the role of emotional attachment, perceived benefits, prestige, and novelty. Using a quantitative methodology, data were collected through an online survey of pet owners in Chile. The results reveal that perceived benefits and novelty positively influence attitudes toward traveling with pets, while prestige and perceived benefits directly impact travel intention. Surprisingly, emotional attachment did not show a significant influence, which contrasts with previous studies in other cultural contexts. This research also confirms that attitude and travel intention are relevant predictors of willingness to pay more for pet-friendly tourism services. These findings contribute to the literature on pet tourism in Latin America and provide practical implications for developing tourism services tailored to the Chilean market. This study concludes that marketing strategies in the tourism sector should emphasize tangible benefits and novel elements rather than emotional aspects to attract this growing market segment.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/12/1741pet-friendly tourismtravel intentionpetsattitude
spellingShingle Iván Veas-González
Manuel Escobar-Farfán
Nelson Carrión-Bósquez
Jorge Bernal-Peralta
Elizabeth Emperatriz García-Salirrosas
Sofía Romero-Contreras
Camila Díaz-Díaz
Determinants of Pet-Friendly Tourism Behavior: An Empirical Analysis from Chile
Animals
pet-friendly tourism
travel intention
pets
attitude
title Determinants of Pet-Friendly Tourism Behavior: An Empirical Analysis from Chile
title_full Determinants of Pet-Friendly Tourism Behavior: An Empirical Analysis from Chile
title_fullStr Determinants of Pet-Friendly Tourism Behavior: An Empirical Analysis from Chile
title_full_unstemmed Determinants of Pet-Friendly Tourism Behavior: An Empirical Analysis from Chile
title_short Determinants of Pet-Friendly Tourism Behavior: An Empirical Analysis from Chile
title_sort determinants of pet friendly tourism behavior an empirical analysis from chile
topic pet-friendly tourism
travel intention
pets
attitude
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/12/1741
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