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Visiting friends or relatives?

Author

Listed:
  • Backer, Elisa
  • Leisch, Friedrich
  • Dolnicar, Sara

Abstract

Visiting friends and relatives (VFR) contributes significantly to tourism activity and revenues, accounting for about 48 percent of domestic travel in Australia. Implicit in most discussions of VFR travel is that it represents one homogeneous market. This paper examines this assumption and demonstrates – based on data from 67,024 domestic and international tourists to Australia – that this is not the case. The profile of people visiting friends (VFs) differs significantly from that of people visiting relatives (VRs). This finding has major implications for tourism marketing which need to target VFs or VRs in distinctly different ways, rather than generically marketing to VFR travellers.

Suggested Citation

  • Backer, Elisa & Leisch, Friedrich & Dolnicar, Sara, 2017. "Visiting friends or relatives?," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 56-64.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:touman:v:60:y:2017:i:c:p:56-64
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tourman.2016.11.007
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Backer, Elisa, 2012. "VFR travel: It is underestimated," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 74-79.
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    Cited by:

    1. Gram, Malene & O'Donohoe, Stephanie & Schänzel, Heike & Marchant, Caroline & Kastarinen, Anne, 2019. "Fun time, finite time: Temporal and emotional dimensions of grandtravel experiences," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    2. Eric Beckman & Mark Traynor, 2019. "Utilizing trade market analysis to identify the economic impact of a multiday special event in Miami Beach, Florida," Tourism Economics, , vol. 25(2), pages 253-273, March.
    3. Humbracht, Michael & Cohen, Scott & Williams, Allan M., 2022. "Aspirational intimacy in visiting friends and relatives," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    4. Sevinc ASLAN & Mithat Zeki DİNCER, 2018. "A Conceptual Framework of Visiting Friends and Relatives," Journal of Tourismology, Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 4(1), pages 21-34, June.

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