VFR - are you neglecting this important market?

On a cold miserable Tuesday in January, six people went to a pub, and then ate a meal at a restaurant, before staying in a holiday cottage for a couple of days. Tomorrow they’ll go on a guided tour and visit an attraction, eating breakfast, lunch and dinner at various locations. 

This Sunday, 25 people will gather to eat lunch at an out-of-the-way small restaurant. The weather forecast is awful but they’ve pre-booked and paid a deposit so they’ll still go.

I know both these sets of people. They'll all spend money in an area where there aren’t many traditional visitors right now. 

They don’t think of themselves as visitors, but they’re making a major contribution to the local economy. They’re visiting and meeting friends and relatives.

Official tourism statistics generally suggest that Visits to Friends and Relatives (VFR) account for around 30% of all tourism. I think it could be even more, especially out of season. Add to that the element of people meeting up with friends and relatives, and this becomes a very important sector. For a long time, it was assumed that VFR spend is low and that many people actually stay with friends and relatives, rather than using paid accommodation.

That's no-longer the full picture. 

Not everyone has space and not everyone wants to spend all their time at close quarters. Friends and family are great, but not necessarily for 24hrs at a time! The VFR market does use local accommodation.

There are three more reasons this is an important market:

1. Visits and gatherings of friends and relatives tend to take place outside the main season, when they’re not all taking their ‘main’ holidays and breaks.
2. Spend is usually higher. People treat themselves when they’re together – to gifts, to enjoy local attractions and activities, to meals out, and better quality food and drink.
3. We value friends and relatives. During tricky times we might limit our short breaks and holidays but visits to friends and relatives are protected, even in an economic downturn. 

Next week we’ll look at what you can do to attract more VFR visitors and benefit from their out-of-season spend.