ABSTRACT
The outreach of tourism as a modern economic sector is on a rising edge. Since the 1960s, tourism has expanded into all corners of the earth (Theobald, 2004; Theuns, 2002). Because of the growing importance of tourism and its potential economic value for a country or region, tourism has become a popular object of study. There is, however, one category of tourists who have as their main purpose 'visiting friends and relatives' (VFR) which has been neglected, most likely because they are assumed to have a secondary status when measured in economic terms. Yet more and more researchers are questioning whether the economic contribution of VFR tourists is really insignificant. After a long period of overlooking the VFR market in most international tourism studies, the VFR market is increasingly becoming a subject of research. For example, Jackson (1990) demonstrated that the extent of VFR tourism to Australia is underestimated: many visitors classified as holidaymakers actually spent much of their time with friends and relatives. If Jackson is right, the VFR market would be much bigger than has previously been thought.
