Family perspectives on food whilst on holiday

Perspectives on family meal times have been extensively reviewed in the wider literature. Tourism and hospitality have not followed suit within an away from home dimension despite the significant size of the family market. This study explores the concept of shared meals on holiday from the perspectives of all family members. Holidays signify condensed periods of time with family allowing for more symbolic food experiences compared to the declining importance placed on family meals in the home environment. A whole-family methodology was used with 10 families (20 parents, 20 children aged 6-16) within different holiday situations in New Zealand and overseas as a more critical and holistic approach to hospitality concepts. Positive and negative memorable experiences of social hospitality are illustrated through three themes providing insight into the meaning of food for different family members on holiday. The implications of the themes to broader academic debates are further discussed.