Mid Sweden University

What is the definition of being a tourist, and when do you stop being one? Does it depend on your intention or duration of a visit, or is it when you are no longer legally regarded as such? The definition of tourism is slowly changing. Some types of tourism already transcend tourism’s traditional boundaries, such as Visiting Friends and Relatives [VFR] travel. In current research, tourism in this form is a common topic while also being a phenomenon linked to everyday practices. However, the topic of people who also cross traditional boundaries and are not strictly regarded as ‘tourists’ is not subjected to similar discussion. This thesis performs an analysis of tourism aspects in the wider context of migration. Presented in the title of this research, the notion of the tourism-migration nexus discerns the common ground between tourism and migration. Previous research has already challenged the distinctions between them, but it is a topic that struggles with conceptual overlap and lack of consensus. Recent studies have shown that existing definitions of migrants and tourists do not accurately reflect real life, where some groups or individuals inhabit elements of both. The present research adds to these studies by exploring the nature of a niche group within the tourism-migration nexus: Swedish homecomers and their foreign partners. It makes a theoretical contribution by introducing the element of partnership to the study of migration processes, and its empirical findings illuminate the everyday character of certain tourism experiences.