Research Article
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A Conceptual Framework of Visiting Friends and Relatives

Year 2018, Volume: 4 Issue: 1, 21 - 34, 01.08.2018

Abstract

Because of long working hours and the perplexity brought about by city life, individuals have less time to devote to their
family and friends. This means that they want to spend their leisure time with them. Individuals visit their friends and
relatives as a means of socio-cultural life. As a result, new travel / tourism types such as “Visiting Friends and Relatives”
have been formed due to such interactions. Although VFR travel has been known for many years, it is a newly discovered
phenomenon. Also, as a category of travel / tourism it is difficult to get enough information about it. Given the fact
that there are a significant number of travelers in the world visiting families and friends, it is important, that VFR travel
/ tourism potential should be taken into consideration. For this purpose, this study will try to draw a comprehensive
framework by focusing on VFR travel / tourism concept.

References

  • Asiedu, A. B. (2008). Participants' characteristics and economic benefits of visiting friends and relatives (VFR) tourism—an international survey of the literature with implications for Ghana. International Journal of Tourism Research, 10(6), 609‒621.
  • Ayikoru, M. (2015). Destination competitiveness challenges: A Ugandan perspective. Tourism Management, 50, 142‒158.
  • Backer, E. (2007). VFR travel: An examination of the expenditures of VFR travellers and their hosts. Current Issues in Tourism, 10(4), 366‒377.
  • Backer, E. (2008). VFR travellers–visiting the destination or visiting the hosts. Asian Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Research, 2(1), 60‒70. Backer, E. R. (2010). Opportunities for commercial accommodation in VFR travel. International Journal of Tourism Research, 12(4), 334‒354.
  • Backer, E. (2012a). VFR travel: why marketing to Aunt Betty matters. In H. Schänzel et al. (Eds.). Family tourism: multidisciplinary perspectives (pp. 81‒92). Channel View Publications.
  • Backer, E. (2012b). VFR travel: it is underestimated. Tourism Management, 33 (1), 74-79.
  • Backer, E. & Lynch, D. (2017). Understanding the proclivity of visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travel across family life cycle stages in Australia. International Journal of Tourism Research, 19(4), 447‒454.
  • Backer, E., Leisch, F. & Dolnicar, S. (2017). Visiting friends or relatives? Tourism Management, 60, 56‒64.
  • Backer, E. & Ritchie, B. W. (2017). VFR travel: a viable market for tourism crisis and disaster recovery? International Journal of Tourism Research, 19(4), 400‒411.
  • Behrens, R. H. & Leder, K. (2013). Visiting friends and relatives. In K. Jay et al. (Eds.). Travel medicine (pp. 297‒304, 3th edition). Elsevier Saunders.
  • Braunlich, C. G. & Nadkarni, N. (1995). The importance of the VFR-visiting friends and relatives-market to the hotel industry. Journal of Tourism Studies, 6(1), 38‒47. Chan, F., Lim, C. & McAleer, M. (2005). Modelling multivariate international tourism demand and volatility. Tourism Management, 26(3), 459‒471.
  • Cohen, A. J. & Harris, N. G. (1998). Mode choice for VFR journeys. Journal of Transport Geography, 6(1), 43‒51.
  • Duval, D. T. (2003). When hosts become guests: Return visits and diasporic identities in a Commonwealth Eastern Caribbean community. Current issues in tourism, 6(4), 267‒308.
  • Dwyer, L., Seetaram, N., Forsyth, P. & King, B. (2014). Is the migration-tourism relationship only about VFR?. Annals of Tourism Research, 46, 130‒143.
  • Eurostat (2017). Tourism statistics - characteristics of tourism trips. Retrieved from: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Tourism_statistics_-_characteristics_of_tourism_trips
  • Fernández-Morales, A., Cisneros-Martínez, J. D. & McCabe, S. (2016). Seasonal concentration of tourism demand: Decomposition analysis and marketing implications. Tourism Management, 56, 172‒190.
  • Fourie, J. & Santana-Gallego, M. (2013). Ethnic reunion and cultural affinity. Tourism Management, 36, 411‒420.
  • Griffin, T. (2013). Research note: A content analysis of articles on visiting friends and relatives tourism, 1990–2010. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 22(7), 781‒802.
  • Griffin, T. & Nunkoo, R. (2016). Paid accommodation use of international VFR multi-destination travellers. Tourism Review, 71(2), 90‒104.
  • Hendel-Paterson, B., & Swanson, S. J. (2011). Pediatric travelers visiting friends and relatives (VFR) abroad: illnesses, barriers and pre-travel recommendations. Travel medicine and infectious disease, 9(4), 192‒203.
  • Hibbert, J. F., Dickinson, J. E. & Curtin, S. (2013). Understanding the influence of interpersonal relationships on identity and tourism travel. Anatolia, 24(1), 30‒39.
  • Hu, B. & Morrison, A. M. (2002). Tripography: Can destination use patterns enhance understanding of the VFR market? Journal of Vacation Marketing, 8(3), 201‒220.
  • Humbracht, M. (2015). Reimagining transnational relations: The embodied politics of visiting friends and relatives mobilities. Population, Space and Place, 21(7), 640‒653.
  • Hyde, K. F. (2008). Information processing and touring planning theory. Annals of Tourism Research, 35(3), 712‒731.
  • Janta, H., Cohen, S. A. & Williams, A. M. (2015). Rethinking visiting friends and relatives mobilities. Population, Space and Place, 21(7), 585‒598.
  • Josiam, B. M. & Frazier, R. (2008). Who am I? Where did I come from? Where do I go to find out? Genealogy, the internet, and tourism. Tourismos: An International Multidisciplinary Journal of Tourism, 3(2), 35‒56.
  • Kim, S. S., Choi, S., Agrusa, J., Wang, K. C. & Kim, Y. (2010). The role of family decision makers in festival tourism. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 29(2), 308‒318.
  • King, R. & Lulle, A. (2015). Rhythmic island: Latvian migrants in Guernsey and their enfolded patterns of space‐time mobility. Population, Space and Place, 21(7), 599‒611.
  • Koppenfels, A. K., Mulholland, J. & Ryan, L. (2015). Gotta go visit family: reconsidering the relationship between tourism and transnationalism. Population, Space and Place, 21(7), 612‒624.
  • Kozak, M. (2010). Holiday taking decisions–The role of spouses. Tourism Management, 31(4), 489‒494.
  • Larsen, J., Axhausen, K. W. & Urry, J. (2006). Geographies of social networks: meetings, travel and communications. Mobilities, 1(2), 261‒283.
  • Lee, G., Morrison, A. A., Lheto, X. Y., Webb, J. & Reid, J. (2005). VFR: Is it really marginal? A financial consideration of French overseas travellers. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 11(4), 340‒356.
  • Lehto, X. Y., Morrison, A. M. & O’Leary, J. T. (2001). Does the visiting friends and relatives’ typology make a difference? A study of the international VFR market to the United States. Journal of Travel Research, 40(2), 201‒212.
  • Lehto, X. Y., Choi, S., Lin, Y. C. & MacDermid, S. M. (2009). Vacation and family functioning. Annals of Tourism Research, 36(3), 459‒479.
  • Lehto, X. Y., Lin, Y. C., Chen, Y. & Choi, S. (2012). Family vacation activities and family cohesion. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 29(8), 835‒850.
  • Ma, T., Heywood, A. & MacIntyre, C. R. (2015). Chinese travellers visiting friends and relatives–a review of infectious risks. Travel medicine and infectious disease, 13(4), 285‒294.
  • Meis, S., Joyal, S. & Trites, A. (1995). “The U.S. repeat and VFR visitor to Canada: come again, eh!”. The Journal of Tourism Studies, 6(1), 27‒37.
  • O'Leary, J. T., Hsieh, S. & Morrison, A. M. (1995). Segmenting the visiting friends and relatives market by holiday activity participation. Journal of Tourism Studies, 6(1), 48‒63.
  • Palovic, Z., Kam, S., Janta, H., Cohen, S. & Williams, A. (2014). Surrey think tank–reconceptualising visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travel. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 2(4), 266‒268.
  • Pearce, P. L. & Moscardo, G. (2006). Domestic and visiting friends and relatives tourism. In Tourism business frontiers: Consumers, products and industry (pp. 48-55). Elsevier.
  • Pennington-Gray, L. (2003). Understanding the domestic VFR drive market in Florida. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 9(4), 354‒367.
  • Ritchie, B. J. R. & Crouch, G.I. (2011). A Model of destination competitiveness and sustainability. In Y. Wang & Pizam, A. (Eds.). Destination marketing and management: theories and applications (pp. 326‒339). Wallingford: CABI.
  • Rogerson, C. M. (2015). Revisiting VFR tourism in South Africa. South African Geographical Journal, 97(2), 139‒157.
  • Tagg, S. & Seaton, A. V. (1995). Disaggregating friends and relatives in VFR tourism research: the Northern Ireland evidence 1991-1993. The Journal of Tourism Studies, 6(1), 6‒18.
  • Seaton, A. V. & Palmer, C. (1997). Understanding VFR tourism behaviour: the first five years of the United Kingdom tourism survey. Tourism Management, 18(6), 345‒355.
  • Shani, A. & Uriely, N. (2012). VFR tourism: the host experience. Annals of Tourism Research, 39(1), 421‒440.
  • Shani, A. (2013). The VFR experience: ‘home’ away from home? Current Issues in Tourism, 16(1), 1‒15.
  • Stepchenkova, S., Shichkova, E., Kim, H., Pennington-Gray, L. & Rykhtik, M. (2015). Segmenting the ‘visiting friends and relatives’ travel market to a large urban destination: the case of Nizhni Novgorod, Russia. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 4, 235‒247.
  • Thrane, C. & Farstad, E. (2011). Domestic tourism expenditures: the non-linear effects of length of stay and travel party size. Tourism Management, 32, 46‒52.
  • Unger, O., Uriely, N. & Fuchs, G. (2016). The business travel experience. Annals of Tourism Research, 61, 142‒156.
  • Uriely, N. (2010). Home and away in VFR tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 37(3), 854‒857.
  • Valadkhani, A., Smyth, R. & O’Mahony, B. (2017). Asymmetric causality between Australian inbound and outbound tourism flows. Applied Economics, 49(1), 33‒50.
  • Visser, G. (2003). Visible, yet unknown: reflections on second-home development in South Africa. Urban Forum, 14(4), 379‒407.
  • Wang, N. (1999). Rethinking authenticity in tourism experience. Annals of Tourism Research, 26(2), 349‒370.
  • Young, C. A., Corsun, D. L. & Baloglu S. (2007). A taxonomy of hosts visiting friends and relatives. Annals of Tourism Research, 34(2), 497–516.
  • Yousuf, M. & Backer, E. (2015). A content analysis of visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travel research. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 25, 1‒10.
  • Yousuf, M. S. & Backer, E. (2017). Hosting friends versus hosting relatives: is blood thicker than water? International Journal of Tourism Research, 19, 435‒446.
  • Yuan, T., Fridgen, J. D., Hsieh, S. & O'Leary, J.T. (1995). Visiting friends and relatives travel market: the Dutch case. The Journal of Tourism Studies, 6(1), 19‒26.
  • Zalatan, A. (1998). Wives’ involvement in tourism decision processes. Annals of Tourism Research, 25(4), 890‒903.
Year 2018, Volume: 4 Issue: 1, 21 - 34, 01.08.2018

Abstract

References

  • Asiedu, A. B. (2008). Participants' characteristics and economic benefits of visiting friends and relatives (VFR) tourism—an international survey of the literature with implications for Ghana. International Journal of Tourism Research, 10(6), 609‒621.
  • Ayikoru, M. (2015). Destination competitiveness challenges: A Ugandan perspective. Tourism Management, 50, 142‒158.
  • Backer, E. (2007). VFR travel: An examination of the expenditures of VFR travellers and their hosts. Current Issues in Tourism, 10(4), 366‒377.
  • Backer, E. (2008). VFR travellers–visiting the destination or visiting the hosts. Asian Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Research, 2(1), 60‒70. Backer, E. R. (2010). Opportunities for commercial accommodation in VFR travel. International Journal of Tourism Research, 12(4), 334‒354.
  • Backer, E. (2012a). VFR travel: why marketing to Aunt Betty matters. In H. Schänzel et al. (Eds.). Family tourism: multidisciplinary perspectives (pp. 81‒92). Channel View Publications.
  • Backer, E. (2012b). VFR travel: it is underestimated. Tourism Management, 33 (1), 74-79.
  • Backer, E. & Lynch, D. (2017). Understanding the proclivity of visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travel across family life cycle stages in Australia. International Journal of Tourism Research, 19(4), 447‒454.
  • Backer, E., Leisch, F. & Dolnicar, S. (2017). Visiting friends or relatives? Tourism Management, 60, 56‒64.
  • Backer, E. & Ritchie, B. W. (2017). VFR travel: a viable market for tourism crisis and disaster recovery? International Journal of Tourism Research, 19(4), 400‒411.
  • Behrens, R. H. & Leder, K. (2013). Visiting friends and relatives. In K. Jay et al. (Eds.). Travel medicine (pp. 297‒304, 3th edition). Elsevier Saunders.
  • Braunlich, C. G. & Nadkarni, N. (1995). The importance of the VFR-visiting friends and relatives-market to the hotel industry. Journal of Tourism Studies, 6(1), 38‒47. Chan, F., Lim, C. & McAleer, M. (2005). Modelling multivariate international tourism demand and volatility. Tourism Management, 26(3), 459‒471.
  • Cohen, A. J. & Harris, N. G. (1998). Mode choice for VFR journeys. Journal of Transport Geography, 6(1), 43‒51.
  • Duval, D. T. (2003). When hosts become guests: Return visits and diasporic identities in a Commonwealth Eastern Caribbean community. Current issues in tourism, 6(4), 267‒308.
  • Dwyer, L., Seetaram, N., Forsyth, P. & King, B. (2014). Is the migration-tourism relationship only about VFR?. Annals of Tourism Research, 46, 130‒143.
  • Eurostat (2017). Tourism statistics - characteristics of tourism trips. Retrieved from: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Tourism_statistics_-_characteristics_of_tourism_trips
  • Fernández-Morales, A., Cisneros-Martínez, J. D. & McCabe, S. (2016). Seasonal concentration of tourism demand: Decomposition analysis and marketing implications. Tourism Management, 56, 172‒190.
  • Fourie, J. & Santana-Gallego, M. (2013). Ethnic reunion and cultural affinity. Tourism Management, 36, 411‒420.
  • Griffin, T. (2013). Research note: A content analysis of articles on visiting friends and relatives tourism, 1990–2010. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 22(7), 781‒802.
  • Griffin, T. & Nunkoo, R. (2016). Paid accommodation use of international VFR multi-destination travellers. Tourism Review, 71(2), 90‒104.
  • Hendel-Paterson, B., & Swanson, S. J. (2011). Pediatric travelers visiting friends and relatives (VFR) abroad: illnesses, barriers and pre-travel recommendations. Travel medicine and infectious disease, 9(4), 192‒203.
  • Hibbert, J. F., Dickinson, J. E. & Curtin, S. (2013). Understanding the influence of interpersonal relationships on identity and tourism travel. Anatolia, 24(1), 30‒39.
  • Hu, B. & Morrison, A. M. (2002). Tripography: Can destination use patterns enhance understanding of the VFR market? Journal of Vacation Marketing, 8(3), 201‒220.
  • Humbracht, M. (2015). Reimagining transnational relations: The embodied politics of visiting friends and relatives mobilities. Population, Space and Place, 21(7), 640‒653.
  • Hyde, K. F. (2008). Information processing and touring planning theory. Annals of Tourism Research, 35(3), 712‒731.
  • Janta, H., Cohen, S. A. & Williams, A. M. (2015). Rethinking visiting friends and relatives mobilities. Population, Space and Place, 21(7), 585‒598.
  • Josiam, B. M. & Frazier, R. (2008). Who am I? Where did I come from? Where do I go to find out? Genealogy, the internet, and tourism. Tourismos: An International Multidisciplinary Journal of Tourism, 3(2), 35‒56.
  • Kim, S. S., Choi, S., Agrusa, J., Wang, K. C. & Kim, Y. (2010). The role of family decision makers in festival tourism. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 29(2), 308‒318.
  • King, R. & Lulle, A. (2015). Rhythmic island: Latvian migrants in Guernsey and their enfolded patterns of space‐time mobility. Population, Space and Place, 21(7), 599‒611.
  • Koppenfels, A. K., Mulholland, J. & Ryan, L. (2015). Gotta go visit family: reconsidering the relationship between tourism and transnationalism. Population, Space and Place, 21(7), 612‒624.
  • Kozak, M. (2010). Holiday taking decisions–The role of spouses. Tourism Management, 31(4), 489‒494.
  • Larsen, J., Axhausen, K. W. & Urry, J. (2006). Geographies of social networks: meetings, travel and communications. Mobilities, 1(2), 261‒283.
  • Lee, G., Morrison, A. A., Lheto, X. Y., Webb, J. & Reid, J. (2005). VFR: Is it really marginal? A financial consideration of French overseas travellers. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 11(4), 340‒356.
  • Lehto, X. Y., Morrison, A. M. & O’Leary, J. T. (2001). Does the visiting friends and relatives’ typology make a difference? A study of the international VFR market to the United States. Journal of Travel Research, 40(2), 201‒212.
  • Lehto, X. Y., Choi, S., Lin, Y. C. & MacDermid, S. M. (2009). Vacation and family functioning. Annals of Tourism Research, 36(3), 459‒479.
  • Lehto, X. Y., Lin, Y. C., Chen, Y. & Choi, S. (2012). Family vacation activities and family cohesion. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 29(8), 835‒850.
  • Ma, T., Heywood, A. & MacIntyre, C. R. (2015). Chinese travellers visiting friends and relatives–a review of infectious risks. Travel medicine and infectious disease, 13(4), 285‒294.
  • Meis, S., Joyal, S. & Trites, A. (1995). “The U.S. repeat and VFR visitor to Canada: come again, eh!”. The Journal of Tourism Studies, 6(1), 27‒37.
  • O'Leary, J. T., Hsieh, S. & Morrison, A. M. (1995). Segmenting the visiting friends and relatives market by holiday activity participation. Journal of Tourism Studies, 6(1), 48‒63.
  • Palovic, Z., Kam, S., Janta, H., Cohen, S. & Williams, A. (2014). Surrey think tank–reconceptualising visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travel. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 2(4), 266‒268.
  • Pearce, P. L. & Moscardo, G. (2006). Domestic and visiting friends and relatives tourism. In Tourism business frontiers: Consumers, products and industry (pp. 48-55). Elsevier.
  • Pennington-Gray, L. (2003). Understanding the domestic VFR drive market in Florida. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 9(4), 354‒367.
  • Ritchie, B. J. R. & Crouch, G.I. (2011). A Model of destination competitiveness and sustainability. In Y. Wang & Pizam, A. (Eds.). Destination marketing and management: theories and applications (pp. 326‒339). Wallingford: CABI.
  • Rogerson, C. M. (2015). Revisiting VFR tourism in South Africa. South African Geographical Journal, 97(2), 139‒157.
  • Tagg, S. & Seaton, A. V. (1995). Disaggregating friends and relatives in VFR tourism research: the Northern Ireland evidence 1991-1993. The Journal of Tourism Studies, 6(1), 6‒18.
  • Seaton, A. V. & Palmer, C. (1997). Understanding VFR tourism behaviour: the first five years of the United Kingdom tourism survey. Tourism Management, 18(6), 345‒355.
  • Shani, A. & Uriely, N. (2012). VFR tourism: the host experience. Annals of Tourism Research, 39(1), 421‒440.
  • Shani, A. (2013). The VFR experience: ‘home’ away from home? Current Issues in Tourism, 16(1), 1‒15.
  • Stepchenkova, S., Shichkova, E., Kim, H., Pennington-Gray, L. & Rykhtik, M. (2015). Segmenting the ‘visiting friends and relatives’ travel market to a large urban destination: the case of Nizhni Novgorod, Russia. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 4, 235‒247.
  • Thrane, C. & Farstad, E. (2011). Domestic tourism expenditures: the non-linear effects of length of stay and travel party size. Tourism Management, 32, 46‒52.
  • Unger, O., Uriely, N. & Fuchs, G. (2016). The business travel experience. Annals of Tourism Research, 61, 142‒156.
  • Uriely, N. (2010). Home and away in VFR tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 37(3), 854‒857.
  • Valadkhani, A., Smyth, R. & O’Mahony, B. (2017). Asymmetric causality between Australian inbound and outbound tourism flows. Applied Economics, 49(1), 33‒50.
  • Visser, G. (2003). Visible, yet unknown: reflections on second-home development in South Africa. Urban Forum, 14(4), 379‒407.
  • Wang, N. (1999). Rethinking authenticity in tourism experience. Annals of Tourism Research, 26(2), 349‒370.
  • Young, C. A., Corsun, D. L. & Baloglu S. (2007). A taxonomy of hosts visiting friends and relatives. Annals of Tourism Research, 34(2), 497–516.
  • Yousuf, M. & Backer, E. (2015). A content analysis of visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travel research. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 25, 1‒10.
  • Yousuf, M. S. & Backer, E. (2017). Hosting friends versus hosting relatives: is blood thicker than water? International Journal of Tourism Research, 19, 435‒446.
  • Yuan, T., Fridgen, J. D., Hsieh, S. & O'Leary, J.T. (1995). Visiting friends and relatives travel market: the Dutch case. The Journal of Tourism Studies, 6(1), 19‒26.
  • Zalatan, A. (1998). Wives’ involvement in tourism decision processes. Annals of Tourism Research, 25(4), 890‒903.
There are 59 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Sevinç Aslan This is me

Mithat Zeki Dinçer

Publication Date August 1, 2018
Submission Date April 10, 2018
Published in Issue Year 2018 Volume: 4 Issue: 1

Cite

APA Aslan, S., & Dinçer, M. Z. (2018). A Conceptual Framework of Visiting Friends and Relatives. Journal of Tourismology, 4(1), 21-34.
AMA Aslan S, Dinçer MZ. A Conceptual Framework of Visiting Friends and Relatives. Journal of Tourismology. August 2018;4(1):21-34.
Chicago Aslan, Sevinç, and Mithat Zeki Dinçer. “A Conceptual Framework of Visiting Friends and Relatives”. Journal of Tourismology 4, no. 1 (August 2018): 21-34.
EndNote Aslan S, Dinçer MZ (August 1, 2018) A Conceptual Framework of Visiting Friends and Relatives. Journal of Tourismology 4 1 21–34.
IEEE S. Aslan and M. Z. Dinçer, “A Conceptual Framework of Visiting Friends and Relatives”, Journal of Tourismology, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 21–34, 2018.
ISNAD Aslan, Sevinç - Dinçer, Mithat Zeki. “A Conceptual Framework of Visiting Friends and Relatives”. Journal of Tourismology 4/1 (August 2018), 21-34.
JAMA Aslan S, Dinçer MZ. A Conceptual Framework of Visiting Friends and Relatives. Journal of Tourismology. 2018;4:21–34.
MLA Aslan, Sevinç and Mithat Zeki Dinçer. “A Conceptual Framework of Visiting Friends and Relatives”. Journal of Tourismology, vol. 4, no. 1, 2018, pp. 21-34.
Vancouver Aslan S, Dinçer MZ. A Conceptual Framework of Visiting Friends and Relatives. Journal of Tourismology. 2018;4(1):21-34.