Intranational Travel, Traveling Professional Workers, and Familiarization with a New Home

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between the intranational travel behavior of traveling professional workers (TPWs) and their familiarization with the host country, Vietnam, as their new home. A total of 34 interviews were conducted with TPWs in the hospitality and tourism industries in Da Nang and Hoi An. The research found that the intranational travel behavior of TPWs is related to their familiarization with the host country as their new home. In particular, the intranational travel motivations of TPWs reveal their desire to become familiar with a new home. Intranational travel patterns such as choice of destination, activities undertaken, and volume of travel have an impact on a TPW's familiarization with a new home as do intranational travel experiences. The results of this study suggest that TPWs represent a residential international travel market and use intranational travel for a specific purpose: adapting to a new (temporary or permanent) home. Recommendations are made for TPWs, local marketers, and future research.