Classification of Tourists

Do you stay in your bubble? Environmental bubble - Surrounded by similar living environment when travelling abroad

What makes you feel comfortable and safe when travelling? Find the points in your travel leaflets! Brainstorm with your neighbour! Write down your findings inside the bubbles.

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Environmental bubble? Speak or read the same language A coach with air-conditioning Include travel insurance A comfortable hotel/ accommodation Choose a reputable travel agency Well planned itinerary Eat Chinese food Chinese-speaking tour guide Staff with professional training Speak or read the same language Sufficient rest time Breakfast at hotel Buffet, choose your own food Fastpass in theme park Special queue

Cohen’s Classification Tourism combines curiosity to seek out new experiences with the need for security of familiar reminders of home Curiosity Security seek out new experience familiar reminder of home Drifter Explorer Individual mass tourist Organized mass tourist

Cohen’s Classification Non-Institutionalized Tourists are loosely attached to the tourist establishment expose to host community Institutionalized Tourists are dealt with in a routine way by the tourist establishment e.g. travel agencies, hotel chain Individual Mass Tourist Organized Mass Tourist Explorer Drifter

Where is the tourist? p.2 Dare to leave/ rarely inside Still confined by it/ Often inside Spend most of the time inside/ always inside Go further away from it/ far away from

Cohen’s Classification p.3 Organized Mass Tourist least adventurous spend most of their time in their comfortable “environmental bubble” throughout their trip the itinerary is decided in advance attractions are guided and well fixed tourists have no decision on their trip

Cohen’s Classification Individual Mass Tourist similar to the organized mass tourist the tour is not entirely fixed have certain control over their time and itinerary but all the major arrangements are still made through travel agencies

Cohen’s Classification Explorer arrange their trips alone go somewhere unusual look for comfortable accommodation and reliable transportation retain some of the basic routines and comforts of their native way of life try to mix with local people and speak their language dare to leave their “environmental bubble”

Cohen’s Classification Drifter go further away from the “environmental bubble” keep away from the accustomed ways of life in home countries no fixed itinerary plan trips wholly on their own live with local people often take odd-jobs to keep themselves going

What type is it? p.2

Teacher: What are the characteristic of this type tourist? Teacher: Do you have those traveling experience? Teacher: Do you like it? Why?

What’s your travel personality? Do the psychological test to know your travel personality at besttripchoices.com Jot down your type and some keywords of your characteristics

Plog’s Classification p.4 Destination popularity VS traveller’s personality Your travel personality Authentic = Psychocentric Mid-authentic = Near psychocentric Centric authentic = Mid-centric Centric venturer = Mid-centric Mid-venturer = Near allocentric Venturer = Allocentric

Plog’s Classification p.5 Allocentric Type seek new experiences and adventure outgoing and self-confident enjoy meeting ppl from different cultures explore an area make own travel arrangements choose activities and tourist attractions

Plog’s Classification Psychocentric Type conservative, inhibited and unadventurous return to familiar destinations want to relax expect the type of food and activity prefer heavily structured itinerary safety and security are important

Plog’s Classification Mid-centric Type between allocentric and psychocentric not particularly adventurous receptive to new experience

Plog’s Classification p.4 Teacher: How many “familiar” you saw in the Psychocentrics type?

Can you classify the destinations into 5? South Africa Canada Kuala Lumpur Antarctica Macau India Singapore Russia Cambodia United Kingdom Bangkok Guangzhou Czech Republic Australia South America Congo Shenzhen France Vietnam USA

Major points to study Understand Cohen's classification Understand Plog's classification Give examples on each types of tourists Identify the concerns and needs of different types of tourist