Visiting friends and relatives (VFR) is one of the largest but most neglected segments in tourism research. Little is known about the way hosts affect their visitors' experience, although it is crucial for the understanding and marketing of VFR. To fill this gap the study first identified three key constructs (hosts' destination knowledge, destination image and motivation to host) and developed a theoretical model to measure hosts' influence on their visitors' experience. The model was then tested on 458 pairs/dyads of hosts and their visitors, which provides a unique methodological perspective, rare in tourism research where most constructs' relationships are normally measured in single individuals. The model's measurement suggests that to improve visitors' experience, destination marketers should focus on educating residents about the local attractions (increase hosts' destination knowledge). However, to increase visitation, marketing should target residents' emotional connections with potential visitors (increase motivation to host).