Is My Pet a Travel Partner? Understanding How Pet Owners’ Tourism Constraints Shape Travel Intention Through Learned Helplessness
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Given the growing popularity of pet ownership, this study aimed to examine the effects of pet owners’ tourism constraints on learned helplessness, travel avoidance with pets and behavioural intentions to travel with pets. The relationship between learned helplessness and travel avoidance with pets was also analysed. More importantly, the serial paths from pet owners’ tourism constraints to travel intentions with pets were tested. Considering the importance of decision-making style (i.e., head vs. heart), it was used as a moderator. Data were collected in Türkiye from 341 pet owners who owned at least one dog, one cat, or both. Data analysis was conducted using PLS-SEM. The results showed that the indirect effects of the pet’s specific constraints, the pet’s interpersonal constraints, and the pet’s structural constraints on behavioural intention to travel with pets via learned helplessness and travel avoidance were significant. However, decision type did not have a moderating role. Both pet attachment and guilt over leaving pets alone had positive and significant effects on behavioural intention to travel with pets. The findings contributed to the understanding of both pet owners’ tourism constraints and learned helplessness through examining serial mediation paths.
Source: Tourism and Hospitality
Author: Fulden Nuray Küçükergin
Institution: Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,448
OpenAlex ID: W7154050947