VFR travel interactions through the lens of the host
- Authors: Backer, Elisa , Erol, Gunay , Düşmezkalender, Ebru
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Vacation Marketing Vol. 26, no. 4 (2020), p. 397-411
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travel is a substantial segment of tourism globally. In many countries, VFR travel represents a large proportion of visitor movement. The size of the segment is often underestimated because official data only reveal VFR by purpose of visit or VFR by accommodation, contributing to the underestimation of the size of VFR travel. Similarly, there is a lack of research that considers the role of the VFR host in VFR travel which results in a lack of understanding. Clearly, the role of the host is critical in VFR travel and it is what centrally defines VFR. This study contributes to the research in VFR travel through providing research related to hosting VFRs. Of note, this study was undertaken in Turkey, which makes a significant contribution to scholarship given the lack of research that has been undertaken outside of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, which are the areas in which VFR travel research has dominated. This study determined the profiles and characteristics of 423 VFR travellers to Nevsehir, Turkey, and their hosts. Accordingly, this study provides a significant contribution to the scholarship of tourism by providing rich data on an area of tourism (hosting VFRs) that had to date, been overlooked. © The Author(s) 2020.
A content analysis of cross-cultural motivational studies in tourism relating to nationalities
- Authors: Soldatenko, Daria , Backer, Elisa
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management Vol. 38, no. (2019), p. 122-139
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- Description: The importance of outbound markets to a host country has increased scholars' interest in understanding motivational factors. Motivation is a basic determinant of tourists' behaviour and has a fundamental role in tourism. The awareness of motivational differences among tourists from main generating markets is a prerequisite for effective and successful destination marketing programs. However, cross-cultural motivation comparisons of tourists from different cultural backgrounds has received relatively little research attention. In addition, there has not been a content analysis undertaken on this topic. Therefore, the aim of this research was to examine and synthesise previous studies on cross-cultural tourist motivation comparison, reveal the gaps in the literature and indicate the future research trends. A review of 71 publications covering a period of 30 years, from 1988 to 2017, was conducted. This study focuses on both subject areas and research methods used. The findings of this content analysis identified a recent growth in cross-cultural comparison studies. The analysis also revealed an increase in more advanced analysis including multiple variables such as motivations, satisfaction, segmentation of visitors, intention behaviours, and information search behaviour. The analysis of nationalities compared in the reviewed studies indicated the shift of research interest towards Asian countries. In the case of research methods, quantitative design is more common for cross-cultural motivation studies.
Take me back…but to where? A content analysis of how countr e? A content analysis of how country of origin impacts on the authenticity of souvenirs
- Authors: Backer, Elisa , Zaveri, Moulik
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: 50th Annual Travel and Tourism Research Association International conference, 25-27 June 2019, Melbourne, Australia Vol. 82
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- Description: Souvenirs are a popular commodity for purchase by tourists. Souvenirs can serve as an emotional connection for people to bring back fond memories of touristic experiences. They can also be gifts for friends and relatives to showcase and share touristic events when the tourist returns back home. In recent years, research has been undertaken on the importance of souvenirs and the aspect of authenticity. However, the relationship between country of origin, more specifically the ‘Made in...’ labels, and souvenirs has attracted little research interest. Importantly, despite the importance of souvenirs to tourism, a content analysis has not been undertaken. Such research seems important in order to guide future research and hold important implications for tourism practitioners. Accordingly, this research involves a content analysis of the relationship between authenticity and souvenirs. Key themes are highlighted and future research identified.
VFR travel : Do visits improve or reduce our quality of life?
- Authors: Backer, Elisa
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management Vol. 38, no. (2019), p. 161-167
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- Description: Quality of Life (QOL) has started to emerge as an important component across numerous disciplines including tourism. Whilst studies regarding QOL have been around for decades in many disciplines, the field is relatively new in tourism. The relationship between QOL and tourism is important given that there have been studies revealing that travel can increase an individual's perceived and actual QOL. Those studies that have examined the relationship between QOL and tourism have focused on pleasure/leisure travel. Thus, other types of travel, namely Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) travel have not been examined with respect to QOL. In terms of QOL, VFR can be derided in conversation, identifying it as an unwanted irritation that can hardly boost QOL. This is particularly relevant in terms of VFR hosting. However, the link between VFR and QOL has not been empirically tested and as such, it is unclear whether VFR can improve or reduce QOL. Accordingly, this paper examines the link between VFR travel and QOL. Based on a sample size of 552 across Australia, this research found that whilst VFR can reduce QOL in some situations, in most cases, positive QOL benefits arise from both hosting and visiting VFRs. © 2019
Australian Honours degrees : The last bastion of quality?
- Authors: Backer, Elisa , Benckendorff, Pierre
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management Vol. 36, no. (2018), p. 49-56
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- Description: The first tourism Honours degree in Australia was offered almost three decades ago, and since then Honours has become a well-recognised and important offering, particularly in terms of its role as a research pathway. The research-intensive nature of Honours degrees produces graduates who are able to plan and execute project work, undertake research, and demonstrate scholarship with some independence. These skills are highly sought after by some employers. However, Honours programs tend to be ‘boutique’ offerings and are particularly vulnerable to curriculum rationalisation efforts. The purpose of this research was to explore the value and future of Australian business Honours degrees by examining the perceptions of tourism and business educators. A survey of 100 academics from 21 Australian institutions revealed that Honours is highly valued and considered to be superior as a research training degree in comparison to Masters Coursework Degrees and Masters by Research. However, in an era of increasing austerity the Australian Honours degree has become an oddity and its reputation as the last bastion of quality in undergraduate tourism education is under threat. © 2018
Travel and quality of life : Where do socio-economically disadvantaged individuals fit in?
- Authors: Backer, Elisa , Weiler, Betty
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Vacation Marketing Vol. 24, no. 2 (2018), p. 159-171
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- Description: Recently, there has been increasing scholarly interest in the relationship between tourism and quality of life (QOL). While the concept of QOL is contestable, a number of studies have revealed that travel can increase an individual’s perceived and actual QOL. To date, the focus has been on vacation travel, highlighting that travel primarily for the purpose of rest or recreation, whether to a holiday destination or touring, is a component of many people’s perceived QOL, and in some cases is a critical component. However, these more expensive forms of vacation travel are less accessible to those classified as socio-economically disadvantaged. Many such individuals can and do visit friends and relatives (VFR), suggesting that VFR may be a critical means by which socio-economically disadvantaged people can travel for pleasure and thereby maintain or improve their QOL. The article suggests a number of potential strategies based on the 8 Ps of the marketing mix, and these in turn inform avenues for future research.
Do visits from friends and relatives improve quality of life or make us feel worse?
- Authors: Backer, Elisa
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: 27th Council for Australian Tourism and Hospitality Education Annual Conference; Dunedin, New Zealand; 7th-10th February 2017; published in CAUTHE 2017 Conference Proceedings - Time for big ideas? Re-thinking the field for tomorrow
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Hosting friends versus hosting relatives : Is blood thicker than water?
- Authors: Yousuf, Mohammad , Backer, Elisa
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Tourism Research Vol. 19, no. 4 (2017), p. 435-446
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- Description: Little research has been undertaken to examine visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travel from the perspective of hosts. Additionally, little research has explored the differences between VFs and VRs, treating VFR as one homogenous group. This research examined the hosts' perspective of hosting friends versus relatives through in-depth interviews with 34 local residents in three contrasting destinations in Australia. Key differences were found between the experiences of hosting friends versus relatives, with immigration a key aspect in impacting the outcome. This is the first study to examine hosting friends versus relatives and to consider how immigration and destination impact VFR travel experiences for hosts.
Understanding the proclivity of Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) travel across Family Life Cycle Stages in Australia
- Authors: Backer, Elisa , Lynch, David
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Tourism Research Vol. 19, no. 4 (2017), p. 447-454
- Full Text: false
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- Description: The Family Life Cycle (FLC) model is frequently used for understanding travel patterns and consumer behaviour. The aim of this research was to consider the relationship between FLC stages and travel engagement in Australia. Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFRs) and non-VFRs (n = 102 029) were found to be significantly different in their FLC composition. In addition, the prevalence of FLC stages changed between the groups, with families comprising 27.5% of domestic VFRs yet comprising 37.9% of domestic non-VFRs. This study has provided a valuable assessment of the relationship between FLC stages and domestic travel in Australia and is the first paper to integrate two common approaches used in tourism for market segmentation.
VFR travel : A panacea for destination recovery?
- Authors: Backer, Elisa , Richie, B.
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: 27th Council for Australian Tourism and Hospitality Education Annual Conference; Dunedin, New Zealand; 7th-10th February 2017; published in CAUTHE 2017 Conference Proceedings - Time for big ideas? Re-thinking the field for tomorrow
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VFR Travel : A viable market for tourism crisis and disaster recovery?
- Authors: Backer, Elisa , Ritchie, Brent
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Tourism Research Vol. 19, no. 4 (2017), p. 400-411
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- Description: 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. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
VFR traveller demographics : The social tourism dimension
- Authors: Backer, Elisa , King, Brian
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Vacation Marketing Vol. , no. (2017), p. 1-14
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- Description: The global phenomenon of visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travel is substantial, including in developed countries. In profiling its dimensions, researchers have examined various VFR characteristics including length of stay, origins and travel mode, though no thorough exploration has been undertaken of VFR demographics. Surprisingly this is the first large-scale study to examine VFR demographics and to consider all destination-related VFR data, not only those that are confined to purpose of visit. The researchers drew upon official Australian domestic travel data (n ¼ 81,579) to undertake a profile of the respective demographics of VFRs and non-VFRs. This assessment revealed that many people who would be classified as socio-economically disadvantaged engage in VFR travel. Previous literature has documented the lower participation of socio-economically disadvantaged groups in tourism and this article shows that they participate actively as VFRs. It is concluded that stimulating VFR travel provisionmay provide a mechanism for extending leisure experiences to those excluded from other forms of tourism.
Visiting friends or relatives?
- Authors: Backer, Elisa , Leisch, Friedrich , Dolnicar, Sara
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Tourism Management Vol. 60, no. (2017), p. 56-64
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- Description: 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. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd
Whole tourism systems: an academic portrait of Neil Leiper
- Authors: Backer, Elisa , Hing, Nerilee
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Anatolia : an international journal of tourism and hospitality research Vol. 28, no. 2 (2017), p. 320-325
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- Description: We are honoured and delighted to have the opportunity to write an academic portrait on Professor Neil Leiper who dedicated three decades of his life to academe prior to passing away on the 14 February 2010 from a brain tumour. He earned an international reputation as a leading tourism scholar. The contribution that he made was captured brilliantly by Pheroza Daruwalla, whose statement appeared on the back cover of the third edition of Neil’s Tourism Management textbook (Leiper, 2004):
Australian film tourism : A case study on what is at stake
- Authors: Backer, Elisa , Owen, Richard
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: 26th Council for Australian Tourism and Hospitality Education Annual Conference; Sydney, Australia; 8th-11th February 2016; published in CAUTHE 2016 Conference Proceedings - The changing landscape : The impact of emerging markets and destinations p. 765
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- Description: The film industry plays an important cultural and economic role in Australia. Feature film production in Australia is undergoing significant change with established filmmaking structures becoming less viable. From a tourism perspective, films can play an important role to host destinations, with promotion around a film resulting in interest from tourists to absorb themselves in the location in which a film was shot. Research into film tourism has increased in the past two decades but has focused on major box-office films. This paper adopts a case study approach to assess the benefits associated with a micro-budget feature film in Australia. This paper contributes to the growing literature in film tourism, and also offers useful insights to Destination Marketing Organisations and Councils in Australia. Of note, a successful micro-budget model could underpin a reconstruction of Australia‘s film industry and assist a generation of young filmmakers with extraordinary collaborative orientation to transform a neglected area of opportunity into an active and vibrant film category.
Perceptions of Australian bachelor honours degrees in tourism
- Authors: Backer, Elisa , Benckendorff, Pierre
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: 26th Council for Australian Tourism and Hospitality Education Annual Conference; Sydney, Australia; 8th-11th February 2016; published in CAUTHE 2016 Conference Proceedings - The changing landscape : The impact of emerging markets and destinations p. 1005
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- Description: The first tourism Honours degree in Australia was offered just over two decades ago, and since then Honours has become a well-recognised and important offering, particularly in terms of its role as a research pathway. The research intensive nature of Honours degrees produces graduates who are able to plan and execute project work, research and scholarship with some independence. These skills are highly sought after by some prospective employers. However, Honours programs tend to be ‗boutique‘ offerings and are particularly vulnerable to curriculum rationalisation efforts. The purpose of this research was to explore the value of Australian business Honours degrees by examining the perceptions of tourism educators. A survey of 100 academics from 19 Australian institutions revealed that Honours is highly valued and considered to be superior as a research training degree in comparison to Masters coursework and Masters by Research.
The propensity to engage in VFR travel across the family life cycle stages
- Authors: Backer, Elisa
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: 26th Council for Australian Tourism and Hospitality Education Annual Conference; Sydney, Australia; 8th-11th February 2016; published in CAUTHE 2016 Conference Proceedings - The changing landscape : The impact of emerging markets and destinations p. 69-87
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: The Family Life Cycle (FLC) model is frequently used for understanding travel patterns and consumer behaviour. The model outlines the stages many people are considered to transition through from singles, to couples, to having children, retiring and then being a solitary survivor. The aim of this research was to consider the relationship between life cycle stages and travel engagement in Australia. In particular, this research aimed to determine whether there were any differences in travel behaviour between Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) travellers and non- VFRs across the FLC stages. Based on a sample size of 102,029 domestic visitors, an analysis revealed that VFRs and non-VFRs were significantly different in their FLC composition ( =6851.60, df=20, p<.05). Z tests of column proportions revealed differences across a number of the groups, with the strongest level of association identified for the older non-working single FLC stage (c = .14). This paper adds to the literature undertaken in the fields of family tourism and VFR travel with a focus on life cycle stages.
The relationship between VFR travel and quality of life
- Authors: Backer, Elisa
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Conference proceedings
- Relation: CAUTHE 2016 : The changing landscape: The Impact of emerging markets and destinations, Melbourne p. 69-87
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: The Family Life Cycle (FLC) model is frequently used for understanding travel patterns and consumer behaviour. The model outlines the stages many people are considered to transition through from singles, to couples, to having children, retiring and then being a solitary survivor. The aim of this research was to consider the relationship between life cycle stages and travel engagement in Australia. In particular, this research aimed to determine whether there were any differences in travel behaviour between Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) travellers and nonVFRs across the FLC stages. Based on a sample size of 102,029 domestic visitors, an analysis revealed that VFRs and non-VFRs were significantly different in their FLC composition ( =6851.60, df=20, p<.05). Z tests of column proportions revealed differences across a number of the groups, with the strongest level of association identified for the older non-working single FLC stage (
A content analysis of Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) travel research
- Authors: Yousuf, Mohammad , Backer, Elisa
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management Vol. 25, no. (2015), p. 1-10
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) travel is a significant form of tourism worldwide. Scholarly research into VFR commenced in 1990 and since then only one review of the literature has been conducted, which was a content analysis based exclusively on journal articles. That research, based from 1990 to 2010 highlighted that only 39 VFR articles had been published in tourism journals. Given the small number of publications identified, it was felt that an analysis encompassing a wider selection of publication forums and extended to 2015 would be valuable to scholarship. This research also considered citations and outputs by individual authors to determine where research is being derived from. The findings of this research identified recent growth in VFR travel research from wider publication forums, including conference papers and theses. However, VFR has made the most presence through book chapters in recent years. VFR research has historically focused on the commercial and marketing aspects, but more recently has turned to furthering understanding of the social aspects by giving particular importance to the VFR hosts and migration topics for the future direction of VFR research. © 2015 The Authors.
An introduction to the future
- Authors: Yeoman, Ian , Robertson, Martin , McMahon-Beattie, Una , Backer, Elisa , Smith, Karen
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: The future of events and festivals Introduction p. 3-9
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- Description: What is the present state of events and festivals research? The growth of the events industry and the provision of events, in all its many forms, is documented often, and by many. However, there has been far less said about the growth of its content, of its research base and the progress of this research in the future. Lockstone- Binney, Robertson and Junek (2013: 176) comment that core areas of event management knowledge will ‘need to be rebalanced with new knowledge areas to ensure that the events industry is ready to adapt to global competition, the rapidly changing business environment and possible global crisis’. For some time, Professor Don Getz has charted the evolution of events as an area of study and research, its capacity to progress in new directions, and the opportunity to create new discourses (Getz, 2007, 2008, 2012). He suggests events can be considered as an area of study, and that it can develop with – as well as go beyond – the management disciplines, and, accordingly, build interdisciplinary theory. Currently, while there are many researchers representing an array of disciplines involved in the discussion of festivals and events, they rarely work together. "From introduction"