The VFR experience: ‘home’ away from home?

Abstract

The current study examines the meaning of ‘home’ and ‘away’ among visiting friends and relatives (VFR) tourists, utilising the multidimensional model suggested by Uriely [(2010). ‘Home’ and ‘away’ in VFR tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 37(3), 857–860] to assess the VFR experience. Despite recent conceptualisations that emphasise the intersection of tourism and everyday life in various ways, as is prominently exemplified in VFR tourism, this empirical investigation provides evidence as to the limitations of this perspective. Specifically, the findings of this study indicate that when staying at friends and relatives, VFR tourists may feel at ‘home’ in terms of familiarity with place, but they also often experience feelings of ‘away’, in the sense of the loss of privacy and the limited situational control involved in this situation. As a result, the study points to the need to understand tourism, in general, and VFR, in particular, as complex phenomena in which elements of both ‘extraordinary’ and ‘everydayness’ coexist. The conclusion also discusses the marketing implications of the study and provides suggestions for future research.

Keywords:

• visiting friends and relatives
• tourist experience
• home
• hosts
• social significance

Acknowledgements

The author would like to express his gratitude to Prof. Natan Uriely from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev for his guidance and insights throughout the course of completing this research. His mentorship and support are greatly appreciated.