ABSTRACT
Furthermore, for many destinations, VFR is the principal form of
tourism and operates as a means of generating repeat visitation over
time (Cave, Ryan, and Panakera, 2003).
VFR tourism is more resilient to crisis situations than other forms of
travel. For example, the September 11, 2001, terrorist airplane attacks
on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, the
Pentagon in Washington, DC, and in Somerset County, Pennsylvania,
created a travel and tourism crisis in the United States (Goodrich,
2002). The repercussions severely affected the industries directly
involved with tourism activities, such as airlines, hotels, and catering
services, and caused signifi cant cutbacks in orders placed to the
support companies that supply goods and services to these industries
(Blake and Sinclair, 2003). Vacation plans were postponed, and
business travel suffered signifi cant losses, as “fi rms cancelled or post-
poned conventions, corporate meetings, seminars, and trade shows”
(Goodrich, 2002, p. 576). However, couples were still getting married,
and relatives and friends were there to support them. The emotional
ties inherent to VFR travel allow these trips to take place even when
extenuating circumstances arise. Moreover, the extensive planning
that accompanies wedding events acts as an impetus to move forward.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that couples who married on September
15, 2001, which was the Saturday following the attacks, did so with the
