Push and pull factors influencing pet-friendly travel in South Africa: insights from an emerging tourism market

This study analyses push and pull motivations for pet travel and their variation across demographic groups in South Africa. Pet travel motivations are under-researched, especially in South Africa, underscoring the need for region-specific studies. An online quantitative exploratory survey of pet travellers was conducted via QuestionPro and distributed on Facebook from September 5–27, 2023. A total of 513 questionnaires were analysed in SPSS. The Factor analysis identified key push and pull factors, and the ANOVA showed that push motivations differed by age, marital status, education, and income, whereas pull factors were similar across groups. The findings expand the limited research on pet tourism in South Africa and offer practical guidance for enhancing pet-friendly travel and designing tailored tourism products.