That's what friends are for: Emotional solidarity, friendship and social interactions between first-generation immigrants and their visiting friends

Abstract

Abstract This paper explores the social interactions between immigrant-hosts and visiting friends (VFs). Through a qualitative approach, the study considers the personal meanings attached to VF visits by first-generation Filipino immigrant households in New Zealand (the hosts) and their respective VFs from the Philippines (the guests). The notion of friendship is largely absent from tourism scholarship, a surprise since tourism revolves around social interactions. Friendship is a special relationship to which people attach great importance. This study contributes to knowledge by utilising the theory of emotional solidarity in a specific cultural context to interpret host-guest interactions oriented around friendship. Emotional solidarity is applied and adapted to situations where travel supports the maintenance of friendship over great distances. Within the growing VFR travel literature, this study is the first to explore the perspectives of both the hosts and visiting friends with respect to social interactions that underpin friendship.