Think Tank on Reconceptualisation of VFR Travel at University of Surrey

I recently returned from the UK where I was fortunate enough to be involved in a Think Tank on VFR organised by the University of Surrey (http://www.surrey.ac.uk/shtm/events/surrey_think_tank.htm).   It was great to be in a small group of people who are all interested in VFR in slightly different angles.  There was a big focus on the mobility aspect of VFR, in the ways that immigrants maintain connections and relationships with their home land, how technology is used to continue those relationships, and the impact of VFR travel patterns on migration flows and broader cultural practices.  There were a few presentations that focussed on the touristic aspect of VFR as well.  A possible special issue in Mobilities may come to fruition.  It opened my eyes to the mobilities side of VFR, and the impact on migration flows- many people seemed to come from an immigration background, and this exposure to a broader range of literature should help strengthen my own work, particularly in the analysis stage of  my current thesis.