Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Associates, 2011). VFR was also shown to remain strong in the UK (Key
Note, 2010). Key Note (2010), a provider of market intelligence in the UK,
claimed that 'another indication of the recession's impact is that activities
which cost very little, such as visiting friends or relatives (VFR) … either
remained stable or increased between 2008 and 2010'. VFR can be seen as
less vulnerable and should also be recognised as an important economic
contributor.
Highlighting its value to a local economy, VFR research in the Albury-
Wodonga area of Australia, undertaken in 1994, indicated that VFR travel
was of major economic importance. It was found to be worth between
AU$27 and AU$52 million per annum and responsible for creating between
540 and 1135 full-time-equivalent jobs (McKercher, 1994).
The value of VFR travel has been highlighted through recent literature
(Backer, 2007, 2010a, 2010b, 2011). While VFR travellers are often assumed
to spend less than non-VFR travellers, research in seven contrasting destina-
tions in Australia has shown that in some destinations this is not the case.
In all seven destinations researched, VFRs outspent non-VFRs across a wide
range of categories. While the categories varied across the destinations, often
the high VFR spend was linked to retail shopping, groceries, entertainment
and dining out.
As suggested above, VFR travel also has economic importance because
it tends to have a stabilising effect on an economy and is less vulner-
able to market fluctuations. King (1994: 175) presented data showing that
between 1980 and 1990 'VFR travel grew by 87%, a higher figure than
the one attributable to holiday travel of 69%'. He also pointed out that
VFR travel 'experienced a further growth of 22% between 1990 and 1991
whilst outbound holiday numbers declined' (King, 1994: 175). Because of
this, King (1996) believes that targeted VFR strategies may be appropriate
during economic declines to help buffer against business downturns. He
refers to the fact that during previous recessions VFR travel held up better
than holiday travel in Australia's state of Victoria, particularly in Victoria's
rural areas.
Furthermore, VFR travel is said to be less susceptible than other forms
of tourism to seasonality issues (Asiedu, 2008; Bull, 1995; Denman, 1988;
Hay, 1996; McKercher, 1994; Seaton & Palmer, 1997; Seaton & Tagg, 1995;
Weaver & Lawton, 2010) and 'is most likely to fall outside the conventional
tourism season' (Aseidu, 2008: 617). Therefore, the reduced seasonality
aspect of VFR travel also compounds its stabilising effect. In fact, according
to Seaton and Palmer (1996), VFR travel is not only spread more evenly
throughout the year than other tourism segments, but may also peak in
times that are traditionally low, off-season times. As seasonality can be
a major problem in tourism (Baum & Lundtorp, 2001), this illustrates a
major economic benefit of VFR travel, in that it may serve as an economic
stabiliser (King, 1996; Lehto
et al
., 2001; McKercher, 1994; Seaton & Palmer,
