Mother knows best: exploring the matrilineal influence in family tourism among Filipinos living in New Zealand

College

Ramon V. Del Rosario College of Business

Department/Unit

Marketing and Advertising Department

Document Type

Article

Source Title

Young Consumers

Volume

19

Issue

2

First Page

218

Last Page

236

Publication Date

6-18-2018

Abstract

© 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited. Purpose: This paper aims to examine the personal meanings of hosting experiences of first-generation immigrant families, particularly Filipino mothers in New Zealand, with their visiting relatives (VRs) from the Philippines by using the conceptual lens of hospitality. Design/methodology/approach: Through a qualitative approach, a multi-sited fieldwork was carried out to examine kinship ties that bind immigrant-host families in New Zealand with their VRs from the Philippines. Results of in-depth interviews of immigrant-host mothers on their recollections of family visits were thematically analysed. Findings: The main drivers that shape the hosting experiences of the research participants are modelling filial piety, fulfilling cultural expectations and strengthening family bonds. These main drivers enable sustaining intergenerational ties that unite the mother’s families in the Philippines and those in New Zealand. Research limitations/implications: The study elucidates the complex dynamics of culturally connected and motivated domestic hospitality, where the mother is the main protagonist and orchestrator. This dominance is often subdued, and thus, marketing for family often misses the mark. While the study has a small sample size and therefore lacks representativeness, qualitative accounts have produced an enriched cognitive schema that would enable an interesting way of examining the phenomenon. Practical implications: This study reveals that matrilineal influence on family tourism among migrant Filipinos in New Zealand is strong and culturally influenced. Further studies may be done with families from other cultures and families. From a practical perspective, the findings suggest the importance of marketing tourism or hospitality products that facilitate visiting friends and relatives’ travel through domestic hospitality. Social implications: This research calls for reforms in the way family tourism is marketed. While commercial imperatives did not drive this research, findings indicate that certain cultures adhere to the wisdom of mothers on making the final decision on how hospitality has to be extended and manifested. Originality/value: In the context of family tourism, inadequate research has been undertaken to examine the perspectives of women and their role as host in the travel of VFR. This study purports to fill in the gap in literature related to hosting experiences of women in the context of family tourism and VFR travel and to consider the voices of women in their new homeland.

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Digitial Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1108/YC-08-2017-00727

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