Place Attachment Expressed by Hosts and Guests Visiting Friends and Relatives and Implications for Sustainability

Abstract

Based on the consensus that visiting friends and relatives (VFR) contributes to sustainable regions by developing place attachment, this qualitative study shows how VFR hosts and visitors express place attachment, and how this is formed and modified. This paper is based on interviews with a total of 16 hosts and guests who had tourism experiences together in South Korea (Korea). The findings describe the place attachment formation and transition processes of both the hosts and the guests. For hosts, extant place attachment and VFR hosting experience affected each other. Hosts especially expressed that the opportunity to explore new places contributed to redefining the relationship between themselves and Korea, which affected place attachment. Among the guests, VFR visits of Koreans living abroad and non-Korean guests appeared to have different mechanisms for place attachment formation, enhancement, and recovery. Cognitive, affective, and conative realms of place attachment were captured within narratives that expressed refreshment, recharged energy, and relaxation. The interactions between the host and guest affected place attachment, as did the experience of revisiting familiar places and local non-touristic experiences during the visit. Such perceptions and experiences of place attachment development further suggest the role of place attachment building through VFR in attaining the sustainability of a destination region. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by enhancing the nuanced understanding of how place attachment is expressed in the VFR context and by discovering the context of the formation and change of place attachment of diverse hosts and guests. The study is also significant in that it advances knowledge about how place attachment facilitates the sustainability of the regions through the lens of VFR.