Tourist Typology

SUMMARY OF TOURISM MANAGEMENT MATERIAL TOURISM THEORY: CONCEPTS, MODELS AND SYSTEMS Sub Bab 3.8: Tourist Typology SUB BAB 3.8: TOURIST TYPOLOGY This book describes several typologies according to experts: 1. H. Peter Gray (1970) Gray (1970) categorized tourists using the terms 'sunlust' and 'wanderlust'. In other words, 'sunlust' tourists are motivated by the desire for rest and relaxation (associated with the three S's - sun, sea and sand). Meanwhile, 'wanderlust' tourists are more interested in tourism that has new experiences, new people, and new places and cultures (Yu and Littrell, 2003). Although tourist ‘sunlust’ is associated with the three S’s – sun, sea and sand, it is not limited to that destination; basically they are looking for a place with a certain standard of comfort, which is very conducive to rest and relaxation. 'wandelust' tourists tend to visit several tourist destinations in one trip (multi destination travel), while 'sunlust' tourists tend to stay in one location. Sunlust Wanderlust The business involves resort vacations Business involves tourists Only one country visited Several countries will be visited Tourists are looking for facilities and accommodation Tourists look for culture, customs domestic and different cuisines Special natural attributes are necessities (esp Special attributes tend to be man-made climate) (ads are less important) Travel is a minor consideration upon arrival Travel is an important element during destination visit Either relaxed and calm or very active Not relaxed or sporty; as if educate Relatively more domestic travel Travel is relatively more international 2. Valene L. Smith (1977) Smith (1977) divides tourists into 7 typologies, namely, Smith Typology Characteristic 1 Charter tourists These tourists travel in large groups and demand facilities that are of international standards. Has a very low level of engagement with the local population. Dn usually has a tourist destination with an environment similar to the area of origin and travels just to relax/have fun. 2 Mass tourists Tourists who travel to tourist destinations with the same facilities as in their area or travel to tourist destinations with the same environmental bubble. They are middle class visitors who expect staff or employees who are fluent in several languages to meet their needs they. 3 Incipient mass tourists Tourists who are looking for a tourist destination that has standard comfort and facilities but still offers authenticity. 4 Unusual tourists Although this is not a large tourist segment, it is unusual for tourists to travel in organized groups. These tourists visit new places or carry out activities that are somewhat risky but still have to get standard facilities. 5 Offbeat tourists These tourists try to avoid crowds of tourists or want to increase the enjoyment of their trip by doing activities outside the norm. In general, they adapt well. 6 Elite Tourists This is a rare type of tourism that is hard to find and consists of individuals who are almost 'everywhere'. Tourists who visit unknown tourist destinations but plan in advance and travel in small numbers. 7 Explorer tourists The number of tourists is very limited. Explorer tourists are not considered tourists but, instead, live as active participants and observers among the local community, easily accommodating and accepting the lifestyle and norms of the native population. 3. Erik Cohen Cohen (1972, 1979) classifies tourists into four categories: 1) Organized mass tourists: traveling in groups with other tourists, who don't necessarily know each other, following predetermined and inflexible routes. These are tourists who purchase a tour package to a popular destination generally including transportation, accommodation and possibly meals, tickets to tourist attractions and shows, airport transfers at the tourist destination, etc. A classic example is in the 1969 film If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (Wolper Pictures, USA; Director: Mel Stuart). 2) Individual mass tourist: traveling alone or with a group of tourists who already know each other, with a tour package that has several pre-selected products. Individual mass tourists differ from organized mass tourists in that they can change their travel plans or even change the length of stay at one of their destinations. 3) Explorer tourists: travel alone, looking for new tourist destinations, thus avoiding the most developed tourist spots. In general, explorer tourists prefer contact with local residents over interacting with other tourists during their travels, even if they use some types of tourist infrastructure. Drifter tourists: want to feel as if they belong to the local community, even if only temporarily. They tend to spend their days with the locals, becoming completely immersed in their culture and customs. In table 19 it is shown that Cohen's typology can be compared with Smith and Plog's on a travel style continuum, based on the level of familiarity or assimilation desired when traveling (Basala and Klenosky, 2001). This and other tourism typologies show tremendous potential for developing tourism marketing plans for tourist destinations and can contribute to product development, pricing, distribution channel choices and creation of promotional strategies. However, this classification has considerable limitations, including the following: • Many typologies are very broad and overly simplistic and stereotypical, failing to encompass the complex patterns of behavior found in the real world. • The typology does not leave much room for single travelers to be classified in different categories. • The typology assumes that tourists' personalities will be reflected in their holiday behavior. • The main typology was developed more than a decade ago and may not represent the changes that have occurred during this period. • Most of these typologies were developed based on European and American markets, and do not take into account the characteristics of tourists from other regions. • Researchers sometimes develop typologies from studies with small samples, which may be questionable. This is one possible criticism of the tourism typology proposed by Wickens (2002) • The typology ignores the fact that tourists may mature as they become more experienced travelers. Eugenia Wickens Many tourist typologies presented in the literature, including Cohen (1972), Plog (1990, 1991, 2006) and Smith (1977), assume that the proposed classification will work for all types of tourist destinations. Wickens (2002) proposes a different typology, in which tourists are cataloged according to a specific tourist destination: in this case, Kalimeria, a resort located on the Greek peninsula of Chalkidiki. Based on the classification proposed by Cohen, the author attempted to classify 86 British tourists who visited these destinations according to their tourist experience. All of these tourists fall into the category defined by Cohen (1972) as individual mass tourists. Based on interviews with this sample, Wickens (2002) identified five types of microtourism, namely: • Culture Heritage: this group consists of 18 tourists who show a strong interest in the cultural aspects of the destination. They had visited Greece before and identified the country's natural beauty, culture and history as the main reasons for their trip. This type of tourism consists mainly of families and the elderly. • Ravers: this is a group of 18 tourists who identified an interest in the hedonistic and sensual activities offered by Chalkidiki. • 'Shirley Valentines': this was a group of 14 women, traveling alone or with friends, all with previous travel experience in Greece. They are characterized by their desire to have romantic experiences with 'Greek gods'. This group has very high expectations for hedonistic activities during their stay in Kalimeria, namely to find a 'true friend' or a 'charming Greek man'. Their travels were also seen as an opportunity to escape from the routine of their everyday home lives. • Sun worshippers: this group consists of 25 tourists looking for a relaxing holiday under the sun. Many members of this group spend more than 7 hours a day on the beach, trying to sunbathe in any way possible, only to move on to 'eating, drinking or swimming in the sea'. This group is very consistent with the promotion of tourist destinations sold as places where 'the sun is guaranteed'. Unlike tourists interested in cultural heritage, sun worshipers do not undertake cultural visits in Chalkidiki. • ‘Lord Byrons’: the main characteristic of this type of tourist is their habit of returning every year to the same destination and, in some cases, the same accommodation. This was the smallest group, consisting of 11 tourists. Generally, these tourists talk about Kalimeria as if they were already part of the place. ‘Mr Byron’, named after the English poet who lived extravagantly and fought in the Greek War of Independence, is said to be passionate about Greece and its hospitality and speaks of the place with intimacy and nostalgia, lamenting the growth of mass tourism in Kalimeria and its negative impact on this tourist destination. The five tourist typologies proposed by Wickens (2002) for coastal resorts, except for tourists interested in cultural heritage, which is possible thanks to the rich history and Hellenic culture of the area, the other types of tourism embody a combination of interests related to the three main types of attraction these goals: sex, sun and sea. However, Wickens's typology may serve as inspiration for less common classifications of tourists, especially those attempting to identify unique classifications for particular tourist destinations.