Pet-friendly Community Tourism: An Untapped Opportunity

Abstract

This academic article aimed to examine the potential for developing pet-friendly community tourism, a novel concept that aligns with the emerging trend of pet humanization, or treating pets as family members. The study primarily focused on dogs, reflecting the growing prevalence of pet ownership among younger generations in Thai society. A conceptual framework, referred to as the “PETS Model,” was proposed, comprising four principal components: (1) P (Prepare): community preparedness in terms of resources, culture, human capital, and management; (2) E (E-Commerce): the integration of digital marketing and online platforms to expand access to pet-owning tourists; (3) T (Technology): the application of technology to enhance service quality, including telehealth for pets, pet care applications, and smart devices; and (4) S (Social Responsibility): the promotion of shared responsibility between communities and tourists to ensure the sustainable preservation of local environments and cultures. The findings suggested that pet-friendly community tourism represented not only an emerging economic opportunity but also a means of strengthening community roles in tourism management through local participation, creative utilization of technology, and alignment with global pet market trends. Ultimately, the proposed model contributed to the creation of new tourism experiences that were accommodating to both humans and pets, while promoting long-term sustainable development.