IKO Higher Seminar series: Dog-Friendly Tourism with Focus on Quality of Life and Destination Resilience

Dog-Friendly! 

The project explores how tourism destinations can better accommodate travellers with dogs by examining the needs and practices of dog owners and the role destination stakeholders can play in developing more inclusive tourism environments. With the rapid growth of dog ownership and increasing demand for travelling with companion animals, the project investigates both opportunities and challenges for destinations seeking to support this emerging form of tourism.

The seminar will consist of three parts:

Part 1 – Project presentation
A short introduction to the research project, its background, and ongoing work on dog-friendly tourism, including how travelling with dogs relates to tourists’ quality of life and destination development.

Part 2 – Dog-Friendly! Newly published report
”Hundvänlig – utmaningar, metoder och affärsmöjligheter för besöksnäringen”. Download the report here (pdf). 

This recently published report presents key insights into dog-friendly tourism as a growing segment. It shows how dogs are increasingly considered family members and shape travel decisions, experiences, and destination choice. The report highlights both business opportunities, such as increased demand, customer loyalty, and new services, and challenges related to communication, destination branding, coordination, and balancing different visitor needs. It also provides practical recommendations for developing genuinely dog-friendly destinations through clear communication, well-designed environments, and collaboration among stakeholders. 

Part 3 – Work-in-progress paper
“Place Branding of Dog-Friendly Leisure Spaces: Conflicts and Opportunities”

This paper explores how dog-friendly initiatives are perceived by consumers. Based on media analysis of shopping centres allowing dogs, it identifies both positive reactions and concerns about safety, allergies, and fairness, revealing a polarisation between dog owners and non-dog owners and the need for clear communication strategies.

👉 After the seminar, those who would like to continue the discussion are welcome to join us for an informal AW and Tura (Helsingborg–Helsingør ferry).