ABSTRACT
This research aims to explore the phenomenon of taking pets to tourism activities in China based on the hierarchical leisure constraints model. In-depth interview with 23 participants were conducted. The results identified intrinsic and extrinsic motivations of taking pets to tourism activities, as well as the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and structural constraints. The analysis gave emphasis to the Chinese contextual characteristics, among which public acceptance and restrictions, and the strategy of sneaking pets into some tourism activities were highlighted. This paper provides insights into the salience of pet-human joint tourism behaviors in China and generates implications for pet owners and government.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes on contributors
Xue Gong is a Lecturer in the School of Economics and Management at Nanjing University of Science and Technology in China. She has a PhD in Economics from UNSW. Her research interests include tourism economics and education economics.
Hongxia Qi is a Research Officer at Auckland University of Technology. Her research interests are in tourism, leisure, and event volunteering.
Jiaojiao Xie is a lecture in Shangdong College of Tourism and Hospitality. Her research interests are event management and tourism management.
Nandi Qi is a student at Shandong Tourism Vocational College. His research interests include leisure and event.