My paper on VFR is published

A Content Analysis of Articles on Visiting Friends and Relatives Tourism, 1990–2010

• Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management 
• 2012

Abstract

The desire to visit friends and relatives (VFR) is a substantial influencer over a large proportion of all tourism trips worldwide. Despite this generally accepted notion it is a relatively recent subject in tourism literature receiving comparatively little attention from tourism academics. This paper offers a content analysis of journal articles retrieved using Google Scholar on VFR tourism covering a 21 year period. Papers were categorised by theoretical approach, author origin, geographical focus and specific topics of interest. Key findings show that VFR is receiving an increasing amount of attention, from a growing variety of scholars applying more varied approaches. Earlier papers generally focussed on volumetric, economic and marketing issues, with a more recent growth of interest in the social and community aspects of VFR tourism. Considerations for future research are discussed and comparisons with other subject matters presented.