Abstract
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to offer some insights into the future of urban tourism with particular consideration given to immigration and visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travel. The discussion highlights the fact that cities are increasingly home to immigrants and transitory residents who host visitors, blurring resident-visitor distinctions, with implications for cultural and economic development, and tourism practitioners. These trends are highlighted, and discussions relating to the future are offered.Design/methodology/approachThis discussion is based on a literature review and a conceptual approach.FindingsThe number of immigrants to cities keeps growing. These immigrants are shaping their new communities and changing local culture. They contribute to increased tourism through generating VFR travel and creating new tourist attractions.Research limitations/implicationsThe implications of VFR and immigration on urban tourism are most visible in large urban centers that are major points of entry into a country and international magnets. They are not, however, limited to big cities.Practical implicationsThere are potential implications for municipal governments and destination marketers to consider how cultural development and the touristic promotion of the city overlap with areas and direction for possible partnerships with community groups.Social implicationsThis paper promotes the idea that for immigrants, to experience their communities through hosting VFR has positive social implications in terms of integration and cultural development.Originality/valueThis paper discusses a topic rarely addressed the impact of VFR and immigration on shaping urban tourism.
Highlights
Urban centers are home to the majority of the global population
That the overall volume of immigration will not be diminished in the future, but newcomers may be dispersed to a greater number of smaller urban centers
Urban tourism practitioners should be concerned with the quantity and quality of visiting friends and relatives (VFR)-related experiences that happen in their community, and the actual and potential influence they have in furthering the destination image and awareness through personal and online networks
Summary
Urban centers are home to the majority of the global population. The forecast is for this trend to continue as increasing immigration drives urban population growth (International Organization for Migration, 2015; World Health Organization, 2016). One tourism-related implication of this rising urbanization and immigration is the increasing demand for travel among disparate friends and family members. This phenomenon is broadly conceptualized as visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travel. 103-113, Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2055-5911 JOURNAL OF TOURISM FUTURES PAGE 103 and argues that this type of travel will become more important for cities in the future. VFR travel is discussed as a conceptual framework that helps identify links between resident, guest and community with implications for tourism marketing and business development, immigrant integration, and communal cultural development. The implications of future immigration patterns, consumption of travel and family demographics are considered regarding the ongoing importance of VFR for urban communities in the decades to come
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