Activity planning and decision making for international VFR guests in Finland – Host perspective
Lahti-Jussinoja, Sierra (2022)
Lahti-Jussinoja, Sierra
2022
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2022121429637
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2022121429637
Tiivistelmä
Visiting friends and relatives (VFR) tourism is an area of tourism that little is known about despite it being a major form of tourism. Regardless of the frequency of VFR travelers and their hosts, research is extremely lacking, especially information regarding the VFR hosts experience, motives, and values. The objective was to find out how resident hosts in Finland decide what to do with their international VFR guests.
Furthermore, it was investigated whether or not there were differences hosting friends versus hosting relatives. Mixed method was used and data collection was accomplished with an online questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. All respondents of both the online questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were residents of Finland who had hosted either or/both their friends and/or relatives within the past five years.
The results of this study reveal the importance of personal past experience and word of
mouth for VFR host decision making and no drastic variations between hosting friends versus hosting relatives. These results are only applicable to Finland. Findings also suggested that tourist resources are not reaching VFR tourists and their hosts in a level that would be gratifying to all parties. VFR as a phenomena is evidently in great need of more attention and consideration.
Furthermore, it was investigated whether or not there were differences hosting friends versus hosting relatives. Mixed method was used and data collection was accomplished with an online questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. All respondents of both the online questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were residents of Finland who had hosted either or/both their friends and/or relatives within the past five years.
The results of this study reveal the importance of personal past experience and word of
mouth for VFR host decision making and no drastic variations between hosting friends versus hosting relatives. These results are only applicable to Finland. Findings also suggested that tourist resources are not reaching VFR tourists and their hosts in a level that would be gratifying to all parties. VFR as a phenomena is evidently in great need of more attention and consideration.