TY - JOUR
T1 - Understanding challenges faced by VFR hosts
T2 - A study of Japanese migrant hosts in Australia
AU - Kashiwagi, Sho
AU - Nagai, Hayato
AU - Furutani, Tomoyuki
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors
PY - 2023/3
Y1 - 2023/3
N2 - Hosting behaviours and experiences have gradually been acknowledged as influential factors in visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travel. However, the challenges facing VFR hosts while hosting VFR travellers have not been well researched, especially for VFR hosts who are migrants from different cultural and language backgrounds. This study aims to explore the challenges of hosting friends and relatives who have different cultural and language backgrounds to the destination country using the case of Japanese migrant VFR hosts in Australia. Qualitative analysis revealed 12 challenges, which were grouped into three areas, leading to some hosts being reluctant and inactive in receiving VFR travellers. These challenges were rooted in communication difficulties, including the language barriers of their VFR travellers and the social obligations of VFR hosts. This study also suggests socio-cultural differences and living environments between VFR hosts living in the migration destination and VFR travellers living in the home country, making these challenges even greater despite sharing cultural backgrounds. Further research is required to uncover the patterns and impacts of each challenge based on the host and traveller types and to support the design of measures to develop the VFR market.
AB - Hosting behaviours and experiences have gradually been acknowledged as influential factors in visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travel. However, the challenges facing VFR hosts while hosting VFR travellers have not been well researched, especially for VFR hosts who are migrants from different cultural and language backgrounds. This study aims to explore the challenges of hosting friends and relatives who have different cultural and language backgrounds to the destination country using the case of Japanese migrant VFR hosts in Australia. Qualitative analysis revealed 12 challenges, which were grouped into three areas, leading to some hosts being reluctant and inactive in receiving VFR travellers. These challenges were rooted in communication difficulties, including the language barriers of their VFR travellers and the social obligations of VFR hosts. This study also suggests socio-cultural differences and living environments between VFR hosts living in the migration destination and VFR travellers living in the home country, making these challenges even greater despite sharing cultural backgrounds. Further research is required to uncover the patterns and impacts of each challenge based on the host and traveller types and to support the design of measures to develop the VFR market.
KW - Australia
KW - Japanese migrants
KW - Language barriers
KW - Socio-cultural differences
KW - VFR host Challenges
KW - VFR travel
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jhtm.2023.01.004
DO - 10.1016/j.jhtm.2023.01.004
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85147003162
SN - 1447-6770
VL - 54
SP - 306
EP - 315
JO - Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management
JF - Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management
ER -