Paid accommodation use of international VFR multi-destination travellers

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the use of paid accommodation by international visitors who also stay with a friend or relative in another destination.Design/methodology/approachThis paper conducts analysis of secondary data to look at the proportion of person nights in paid accommodation attributable to visitors who also stay with a friend or relative in another destination, and comparison of different visitor groups and their likelihood to use paid accommodation.FindingsResults show that 14.5 per cent of all person nights spent by international visitors to Canada in paid accommodations were attributable to people who also stayed with a friend or relative in another destination. This proportion is higher for destinations outside of the largest cities and varies by source market.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper is limited the structure of the secondary data set, which does not separate visiting friends from visiting relatives, and does not capture host behaviour.Practical implicationsThis paper has implications for destination marketers and tourism businesses as a source for reflection on drivers of their local and international business.Social implicationsThis paper helps position residents in a more central role regarding tourism in their regions and should encourage marketers and service providers to appreciate and engage residents as hosts.Originality/valueThis paper offers an original position by combining concepts from visiting friends and relatives and multi-destination travel that provides a foundation for further research in this area.