Travelling Companions: A Constraint Analysis of Pet Owners in Turkey

The aim of this research are to explore the constraints that pets have on tourist travel, as well as the influence of these barriers on owners' intentions of taking pets with them as travel companions. In this study, the scale developed by Chen, Peng and Hung (2014) was used as a data collection tool. The sample area included Turkey's three largest cities: Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, with the study being the first of its kind in Turkey. The responses of 393 Turkish pet owners were examined through exploratory factor analysis. The results revealed three dimensions of pet-related tourism constraint, namely specific, interpersonal and structural. In addition, the contraints were determined to negatively affect owners' previous travel experience in having pets included on tourist activities.