Paid accommodation use of international VFR multi-destination travellers

Purpose: The 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/approach: This 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. Findings: Results 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/implications: This 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 implications: This paper has implications for destination marketers and tourism businesses as a source for reflection on drivers of their local and international business. Social implications: This 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/value: This 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.