Luxury Tourism: Perception of Pet-Friendliness in European Hospitality

Pet ownership is expanding across Europe, yet destination-level conditions that enable dog-inclusive luxury tourism remain uneven and weakly coordinated across mobility, public-space access, and hospitality services. This study examines how European dog travellers evaluate destination infrastructures and regulatory conditions alongside five-star hotel practices, and identifies factors associated with satisfaction and loyalty intentions. An online questionnaire (seven-point Likert-type measures) was administered to European dog travellers via Google Forms and 457 valid responses (from 841 initial) met eligibility criteria, including recent overnight travel with a dog and a five-star hotel stay in Europe within the last five years. Analyses were descriptive and exploratory, using descriptive statistics and Spearman correlations. Results indicate strong perceived availability of dog-accepting accommodation (M = 5.32) and emergency veterinary services (M = 5.22), but greater heterogeneity where access rules are contested, such as attraction entry restrictions (e.g., monuments; M = 4.10) and everyday commercial settings (e.g., supermarket waiting areas; M = 4.11). Mobility remains only partially enabling: public transport for dogs is rated slightly above the midpoint (M = 4.63) and is positively associated with perceived accommodation acceptance (ρ = 0.107, p = 0.023); beach access is frequently reported as limited and locally variable. Within luxury hotels, general professionalism is rated highly, yet pet-specific service depth is weaker, particularly regarding clarity of circulation policies in common areas (M = 4.75). A substantial share of respondents report foregoing activities due to dog-care constraints (M = 4.12; 43.33% agreement). The study proposes a destination framework with four interdependent pillars, health and well-being, economy and tourism, environment and education, implemented through strategic coordinated regulation, clear mobility information, designated spaces, partnerships, signage and public-space planning to strengthen satisfaction, loyalty and competitive differentiation.