Visiting friends or relatives?

Self Cite

Rebuilding tourist arrivals after crises/disasters is important. However, tourism may have negative impacts in terms of interfering with the destination recovery efforts, and adding distress to local residents. Therefore, consideration should be placed on timing tourism marketing as well as the market segments most suitable to target. This paper integrates both medical literature and tourism literature to consider whether Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) travel may be viable for destinations to consider after crises/disasters. The authors conclude that VFR travel offers both benefits and risks and recommends that only domestic VFR travellers are targeted to aid destination recovery. Future research avenues are also outlined. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is particularly the case for people visiting relatives (i.e. VRs) who rely on the relatives hosting them as the primary source of information (Backer et al, 2017). Thus, VFRs can be best reached through the local resident.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

VFR Travel: A Viable Market for Tourism Crisis and Disaster Recovery?

Backer

Ritchie

2017

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“…We interpret a segmentation of foodies thus, aiming to authenticate the existence and the nuanced characteristics, of various subsegments. This finding can be extrapolated to invite researchers to more closely investigate the presumed homogeneity of other tourism markets, for example, visiting friends and relatives (Backer et al, ).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Concomitantly, recent literature has explored whether other previously presumed homogeneous tourism markets might be segmented, for example, the visiting friends and relatives segment (cf. Backer, Leisch, & Dolnicar, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Food tourism subsegments: A data‐driven analysis

Robinson

Getz

Dolničar

2018

Self Cite

The demand side food tourism literature is underdeveloped with gaps in knowledge regarding the particular characteristics of the “foodies” market. Shortcomings in previous approaches have inhibited determining whether the food tourism market is behaviourally homogeneous or whether it is more nuanced. The omnivore–univore theory frames this data‐driven analysis segmentation study. The 4 food‐related travel preference segments that emerge are interpreted as distinct. Our analysis focuses on 2 particular segments. This has practical implications, especially for food tourism stakeholders in marketing but also has implications for tourism researchers more broadly, to reconsider the previously assumed homogeneity of other travel markets.

“…Many scholars have argued, however, that VFR travel is vastly underestimated, in terms of its volume as well as its economic and socio‐cultural impacts on participants, communities, and businesses (e.g., Backer, 2012; Jackson, 1990). The study of VFR is relatively nascent, yet gaining momentum as researchers seek to measure its magnitude and impacts, examining its potential for marketing and economic development (e.g., Backer, Leisch, & Dolnicar, 2017), as well as its role in facilitating community integration and cultural development (e.g., Humbracht, 2015). However, VFR research has predominantly focused on the demand side and looked to measure and understand visitor experiences and the impacts they bring.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identifying active resident hosts of VFR visitors

Griffin

Guttentag

2020

Substantial tourism activity can be attributed to visiting friends and relatives travel. However, the identification and classification of hosts who are most active, participating in touristic attractions and culture, has received limited attention. This study surveyed residents of Toronto, Canada, and segmented them depending on their own activity while hosting. Findings show that highly active hosts are more likely to be immigrants, to be entertaining large groups of both friends and relatives, and to be hosting overseas visitors in the destination for the first time. The results have implications relating to the engagement of residents as destination ambassadors.