example of allocentric tourist

Plog’s Tourist Motivation Model

Plog’s tourist motivation model (1974) is a popular framework widely referred to in tourism studies . According to the model tourists can be divided into two broad categories: allocentrics and psychocentrics. Allocentrics usually choose exotic destinations and unstructured tours and vacations they prefer to get involved with local culture to a great extent. Psychocentrics, on the other hand, choose familiar destinations and they usually engage in tourism via packaged tours in a conventional manner (Plog, 1974).

The terms of allocentrics and polycentric were later replaced by Plog (1974) to the terms of venturer and dependable respectively, in order to make them more ‘reader-friendly’ (Hudson, 2008).

Plog’s (1974) Psychographic Personality Types

Source: Hudson (2008), adapted from Plog (1974) and Plog (2002)

As it is evident from figure above, according to Plog’s tourist motivation model the majority of tourists can be classified as mid-centric, i.e. they do not belong to neither psychocentric or allocentric categories. Plog’s (1974) Psychographic Personality Types has been criticised for being difficult to be applied because individuals may travel motivated by different factors in different occasions (Hudson, 2008). In other words, an individual may choose an exotic destination for tourism and get closely involved with local culture, yet it may not be appropriate to brand the individual as allocentric because the same person may purchase a conventional tourism package the following year.

Hudson, S. (2008) “Tourism and Hospitality Marketing: A Global Perspective” SAGE Publications

Plog, S.C. (1974) “Why Destination areas rise and fall in popularity” Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Quarterly , Vol.14, Issue:4

Plog, S.C. (2002) “The power of psychographics and the concept of venturesomeness” Journal of Travel Research , Vol.40

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Plog’s and Butler’s Models: a critical review of Psychographic Tourist Typology and the Tourist Area Life Cycle

2018, Turizam

This paper attempts to examine the two popular cited theories in tourism studies, Psycho-graphic Tourist Typology by Stanley Plog and the Tourism Area Life Cycles (TALC) by Richard Butler, which have been widely accepted and applied by scholars worldwide and have retained their relevance more than three decades as the pioneer concepts in Tourism. By capturing and reviewing scholarly articles, this paper identifies some key absent issues that should be concerned when use theories in future tourism research.

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25 Types of Travellers: which one are you?

There are as many different types of travellers (or tourists) as there are types of people .

Some people are thrifty, some spend on luxury items. Some rather relax at home by watching TV, some go out in the mountains to hike. So why would it differ for tourists?

During our extensive travels over the years, we’ve tried out different “types” of travelling. I’ve couchsurfed, so I’ve been a budget traveller, and we stayed in a ryokan in Japan – which is, I’d say, at the high end of the luxury traveller. We’ve done spa vacations in Italy (leisure travellers) – and canyoned in Costa Rica and hiked over active lava in Hawaii (adventure travellers).

And on, and on, and on!

We know how different types of tourists can be described, I’d say, and that’s why we’ve got you covered.

Is it different types of tourists or different types of travellers ?

The definition of a tourist is “a person who is travelling or visiting a place for pleasure” .

The definition of a traveller is “a person who is travelling or who often travels”.

I’d say it’s pretty similar. I believe that travellers travel for pleasure as well, haha. Or that “often” is quite an ambiguous word. Like, who decides what “often” means in terms of travelling?

What are the types of tourists in the travel and tourism industry?

In the travel industry, tourists are identified by psychographic and demographic definitions . The demographics are, of course, the standard ones: age, income, occupation, location, and family status. The five psychographic types of tourists as identified by Stanley C. Plog are allocentric traveller, near allocentric, mid-centric, near psychocentric, and psychocentric.

Allocentric tourists are extroverted in their travel choices. They prefer travelling alone and are adventurous.

The psychocentric traveller, on the opposite, will choose something familiar instead of something new. These are the types of tourists who go to the same destinations every vacation and prefer the all-inclusive options. If they do some activities, they’ll stick to what is included in the itinerary of the events.

The mid-centric type of tourist is, as the name suggests, somewhere between allocentric and psychocentric. They are not exactly adventurous, but occasionally they’ll try something new.

The near-allocentric falls somewhere between allocentric and mid-centric, and near-psychocentric types of tourists fall somewhere between mid-centric and psychocentric.

Different types of travellers

But those terms are really not used that widely, haha. That’s why here in this article I will not be going deep into the academic tourism types, but rather I’ll be describing different types of travellers which are showing up all around the internet.

Because, you know, if you want to find specific information online about the type of travel you want to do, looking up “allocentric” will not bring you answers!

Well, these are, obviously, not all of the types of travellers that are out there – that list would be pretty endless! These are some of the most popular or some that I found especially interesting. Enjoy!

Types of travellers grouped by travel budget

Big monies? Small monies? Different people travel on different budgets, and it’s completely understandable. You don’t need to throw lots of cash around to enjoy places. Here are the most popular types of tourists based on how much money they spend on their trips.

Budget travellers

As the name suggests, budget travellers spend as little as possible when they go travelling. They don’t have a lot of money to spend, so they try to find the cheapest flights (don’t we all generally?), the cheapest accommodation, and activities.

Staying in hostels, which budget travellers often do, is one of the best ways to make friends while travelling . A hostel doesn’t mean staying in a dorm, though! There are many that have private rooms with private bathrooms.

Backpackers

Backpackers are a part of the budget travellers, with the difference that they have so little stuff with them that it can fit in a backpack. Backpackers, just like budget travellers, spend as little as possible.

Related: how to choose the best hotel for you

Luxury travellers.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, luxury travellers don’t care how much money they spend on their vacation. They’ll stay in the most luxury of accommodations, go to expensive restaurants, and if they fly, probably do so in the business or first class.

This is where we fall when we travel. We don’t really stay in luxury accommodations (with some exceptions, such as a ryokan in Japan ), travel economy on the plane, but at the same time won’t stay in hostels even if it would make the trip more reasonably priced, such as Patagonia for example . We don’t go overboard with spending on the trips but still like our comfort.

Activity-based types of travellers

Different people like different activities, so it makes sense that there are travellers that prefer something more adrenaline-inducing than other things. So it makes sense that one of the most popular ways of defining types of travellers is based on activities!

Active travellers

Active travellers, such as we are, will look for active activities in the destination they are going to. An interesting hike, ziplining, canyoning and so on. Some of their activities are adventurous, but mostly they’ll be nothing crazy .

We are active travellers who mix in some much-needed relaxation on our vacations as well.

Related: Patagonia is one of the best destinations for active travellers and adventure seekers

Adventure travellers.

The next level of active travellers, the adventure seekers will try and do any adventure activity they can find. These people like travelling and adventures, of course,

They might go to Dubai for a single reason – to do parachuting. Go to the Philippines not to lounge on the beach but to go diving. Or go to the Maldives to enjoy feeding sharks.

Our biggest adventures, as I said, include hiking over a lava field before sunrise to photograph lava flowing into the ocean and canyoning down a waterfall in Costa Rica. Also, we snorkelled with manta rays at night, went on a tour through middle of nowhere in Bolivia, and on, and on.

If you mention to a foody that you’re going to Naples, they’ll know that that’s where pizza is originally from and the restaurant where you can try the best pizza. We are kind of foodies, so we know that in Japan, it’s not just sushi you need to try or, if you want to try a guanaco filet, you have to go to Patagonia .

Basically, food might not be the main reason a foody travels, but he definitely will try the best – and most original – food a place has to offer.

Experience seekers

Wherever these guys go, they want to experience at least something that’s typical or special for the destination.

It can be having sushi in Japan, it can be riding a gondola in Venice , it could be visiting the Louvre in France… – and yes, those are things that we did. As was hiking the most beautiful hike in El Chalten , Argentine Patagonia.

These types of travellers don’t have specific types of activities that they love, just that they want to experience the best the destination has to offer.

Cultural travellers

Cultural travellers love to enjoy everything cultural the place they go to offers, such as museums, galleries, and historical sites. But not just that – they love to learn everything about the culture of the people of the place that they visit. They love engaging with locals to learn more about the history and everything else about the location.

We are not really cultural travellers, but still, we visited the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, the Louvre in Paris, and the Park Guell in Barcelona. You don’t have to be a culture traveller to enjoy culture, but if one of the main reasons you travel is to visit these sites, consider yourself a cultural traveller.

Religious travellers or pilgrims

These types of travellers enjoy checking out everything religious the location has, such as churches, cathedrals, mosques, and others. Generally, religious tourists like to visit places connected to their own religion, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be like that. Visiting pilgrimage trails such as Camino de Santiago can be considered religious tourism as well.

Related: Kyoto in Japan is full of incredible temples

Relaxation-lovers.

Is there a spa available at the destination ? No? So what’s the point of going there?

Exaggerated, of course, but relaxation-lovers prefer places where they can just, well, relax. Lounge by the pool or by the beach, just walk around the place slowly without making any extra effort. Go for dinner and repeat.

These types of travellers are most likely to go to all-inclusive hotels and just relax. We occasionally do just that, even in Japan .

These would be the psychocentric travellers in the tourism industry. And if you’re wondering what to call travellers who are not adventurous, I’d say those are relaxation lovers.

Where they generally go makes different types of tourists

Whether the traveller goes, there’s a name for it.

Domestic travellers

Domestic travellers like to explore their own country. Instead of going to that incredible tropical island, they’ll go to an ice cave that is just a few hours’ drive from their home.

Obviously, some countries have more options to explore and enjoy. The USA, in my opinion, is much more suited for long-term domestic tourism than Monaco, haha.

International travellers

As opposed to the domestic traveller, international travellers are a type of travellers that will first and foremost go abroad for their trips. They either don’t care about their home country or leave its exploration for those times when they can’t go abroad.

Of course, for us, Europeans, it’s much easier to travel internationally than for people who come from huge countries. That’s why we often travel internationally in Europe.

We especially like going to Italy.

Nature goers.

These types of travellers spend most or even all of their vacation time in nature. They don’t care about cities, museums, or architecture. Give them mountains, forests, or the sea! In this way, we’re definitely nature goes – we spend as much time as possible in the nature.

City explorers

And again, as opposed to those who prefer nature, city explorers rather immerse themselves in the myriad of metropolitan attractions instead of going hiking in the mountains.

Of course, we do visit cities – Milan, Barcelona, Venice … but most of our travels are to some nature.

Types of travellers based on reasons to travel

What is the main reason for the trip or the main thing that the person will do during their travels?

And I don’t mean the main activities, but like the very reason this trip is happening. Confusing? I understand, haha, so see my examples.

An Au Pair is a young adult who lives in a family and provides childcare in exchange for a weekly allowance, room, and food. Basically, the aupairer is like a live-in nanny – so that’s the main reason they even are on the trip. They get time off as well to explore the country that they’ve gone to. Quite a good way how to immerse themselves properly in the culture.

Business travellers

Business travellers travel because they need to do, well, business in another place. They can be going for a meeting, just spending time at another location the company has, or pretty much any other work-related reason.

Volunteer travellers

Disaster relief, helping build a school in Africa or working on a farm somewhere in a jungle in South America so that they can stay there in exchange for the work and explore in their free time. Volunteer travel is another way to immerse yourself deeply in the environment and see it from the inside.

Missionaries go to different places to promote religion. Well, that pretty much describes these types of travellers. Missionaries go into a community to teach about religion and convert them or sometimes provide services, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development .

Yes, I’m putting tourists as a type of traveller. Look at it which way you’d like, but whichever way we travel, we’re still tourists.

A tourist has no other reason to explore a destination besides the fact that they want to – whether it be learning more about the culture, seeing nature, exploring the cities, or having some adventures.

A tourist is a person who is travelling for pleasure, so pretty much, we’re all tourists. Aren’t we?

Types of travellers – who they travel with

Alone or not alone, the number of people you travel with will change your travel style.

Group travellers

The group types of travellers prefer to go on a trip in a bigger group, even using organized tours instead of planning their own trips. These are the loud friend groups you find, well, everywhere, tour groups, and a bus full of seniors. And, actually, I count couples as group travellers , because even as a couple you still have to count with another person’s choices and moods unlike when travelling alone.

Solo travellers

As opposed to group travellers, these are people who prefer travelling alone. They don’t like being tied to someone else and their wishes but prefer being in complete control of their journeys.

These types of travellers are completely happy enjoying the place alone and equally as happy to meet friends on the way.

It’s quite liberating to just be on your own in a new place, take your time exploring or just do nothing for the day.

Family travellers

Similar to group travellers, family travellers go everywhere just with their family. They often cater their trips to what the children will like and enjoy, but many people manage to put some grown-up stuff on their itineraries as well. Still, family trips will most likely include a theme park or a museum instead of a bar crawl.

How much time do the travellers spend on a trip?

Some people have lots of time to spend at a place, then there are those who don’t and even such that spend their whole time on the road.

From a day to their whole life and in between, depending on how much time you can spend away from home, you might fit one of these groups.

Slow travellers

Slow tourists are those who spend a long time in one destination. A lot of the travel bloggers are slow travellers, as they have quit their traditional jobs and are now travelling the world to enjoy it all. These types of tourists like to explore every nook and cranny of the place, enjoying both popular attractions and off-the-beaten-path things.

Vacationers or frequent travellers or weekenders

Frequent travellers are the types of tourists that spend every opportunity they have to go on some trips. It may be only twice a year or so when they have their annual vacation – hence the vacationers. They use many of their weekends to go and see something new.

Generally, vacationers are financially stable – hence they have opportunities to spend a lot of time travelling.

I count us in this same group, although, obviously, lately we can’t just go wherever and whenever.

Digital nomads

Digital nomads are people who are not tied to one location. They often don’t have a home , instead, they change the place they stay from time to time. These types of travellers usually work online (hello laptops) or find short-term jobs along the way to fund their travels.

Does it matter what type of tourist or traveller I am?

Well, the types of travelling doesn’t actually matter that much.

First of all, it’s just interesting to know what type you are, and second, it might be helpful to know what types of tourists you are when researching your next trip . Or, even more so, if you want someone else to tailor your vacation.

If you’re an adventure traveller, you will most probably not enjoy a trip that’s full of visiting museums. And if you’re a budget traveller, staying in a five-star all-inclusive luxury hotel probably will not be for you.

Related: how to plan your vacation

Last thoughts on travel types.

Wow, this list contained quite a few types of travellers, didn’t it?

And that’s not even most of them! Just some of the most popular ones that I found worthy, so to say, to include in this article.

Did your traveller type make the list? What type of traveller are you? Let me know in the comments!

Guest author

Kristine Eksteine-Nizka is a guest author of Wanderlust Designers. She has lived in 4 countries and has visited over 200 places in 30 countries, all while holding a full-time job or studying, and is determined to inspire and teach others to do the same.

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As I perused the vast expanse of the internet in search of knowledge on the various types of travelers, I stumbled upon this gem of a post. The words were elegantly crafted and the information provided was invaluable. My sincerest gratitude for your contributions.

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21 Fascinating Types of Tourists Around The World

Disclaimer: Some posts on Tourism Teacher may contain affiliate links. If you appreciate this content, you can show your support by making a purchase through these links or by buying me a coffee . Thank you for your support!

There are so many different types of tourists around the world and it is important that we understand the different types of tourists in order to be able to ensure that the tourism industry meets their needs. Heck, it wouldn’t make sense to try to sell kids clubs tickets to tourists are are mostly elderly and without young children, just as it wouldn’t make much sense to sell  volunteer tourism  trips to tourists who just want to relax by the poolside for their annual vacation!

From a tourism management perspective, we need to understand the different types of tourists so that we can provide each tourist type with the products and the services that best suit their needs and  demands . So in this article I will introduce you to the the major types of tourists, are you ready to learn more? Read on….

Cohen’s types of tourists

Cohen’s tourist typology was one of the first major typologies developed in the travel and tourism industry. Cohen said that types of tourists can be put into four categories- I have explained these briefly below (if you want a more comprehensive explanation, read my article on  Cohen’s tourist typology ).

Drifters typically have an authentic and deep  immersive tourism  experience, opting for staying with members of the local community rather than in hotels and spending their time in the local community. They seek adventure and plan their own itineraries. This type of tourist always opts for novelty over familiarity- you won’t see a Drifter eating in McDonalds or shopping in Zara! The Drifter is the type of tourist that is least connected with the mass tourism industry.

The Explorer

Explorers also seek novelty over the familiar, however these types of tourists do often have a little more interaction with the commodities associated with the tourism industry. For example, an Explorer may travel independently and enjoy an immersive cultural experience, but they may rest their head on a hotel pillow at the end of the day. This type of tourist will generally eat and shop local, but don’t be surprised if they enjoy a Big Mac from time to time too.

The Individual Mass Tourist

The Individual Mass Tourist seeks the familiar rather than the new. These types of tourists want familiar food, they want to be able to communicate in a familiar language and they want to stay in  types of accommodation  that they are familiar with. However, the Individual Mass Tourist is not constrained by the likes of group tours and activities- yes, they may book their holiday through a travel or use a local tour guide, but they will typically opt for solo travel over group tours.

The Organised Mass Tourist

The Organised Mass Tourist seeks the familiar, typically as part of an organised group. These types of tourists seek the familiar over novelty every time and they are often found with tour guides and undertaking group tours. The Organised Mass Tourist will generally have an itinerary or a plan and they will stick to it.

Plog’s types of tourists

Stanley Plog is another tourism academic who categorised types of tourists in his model of Allocentricity and Psychocentricity. Essentially, he grouped tourists into three types and then mapped this to the way that a destination may rise and fall in popularity. I won’t go into the details of Plog’s theory here, but if you do want to learn more you can head on over to my article ‘ Plog’s model of allocentricity and psychocentricity: Made easy ‘

Allocentric tourists

According to Plog, the allocentric tourist is most likely associated with destinations that are un(der)developed. These types of tourists might be the first tourists to visit an area. They may be the first intrepid explorers, the ones brave enough to travel to the ‘unknown’. Allocentric tourists like adventure. They are not afraid of the unknown. They like to explore.

Allocentric tourists are often found travelling alone. They are not phased that the destination they are visiting doesn’t have a chapter in their guidebook. In fact, they are excited by the prospect of travelling to a place that most people have never heard of!

Psychocentric tourists

Psychocentric tourists are the opposite to allocentric tourists. Psychocentric tourists are most commonly associated with areas that are well-developed or  over-developed for tourism . Many people will have visited the area before them- it has been tried and tested. These tourists feel secure knowing that their holiday choice will provide them with the comforts and familiarities that they know and love.

Psychocentric tourists travel in organised groups. Their holidays are typically organised for them by their  travel agent . These travellers seek the familiar. They are happy in the knowledge that their holiday resort will provide them with their home comforts. The standard activity level of psychocentric tourists is low. These types of tourists enjoy holiday resorts and  all inclusive packages . They are components of  enclave tourism , meaning that they are likely to stay put in their hotel for the majority of the duration of their holiday. These are often repeat tourists, who choose to visit the same destination year-on-year.

Mid-Centric tourists

Mid-centric tourists fall somewhere in the middle- these types of tourists like some adventure, but also some of their home comforts. Perhaps they book their holiday themselves through dynamic packaging, but then spend the majority of their time in their holiday resort. Or maybe they book an organised package, but then choose to break away from the crowd and explore the local area.

Types of tourists by destination type

It is common for types of tourists to be grouped by the destination type. This typically encompasses four major categories, as I have explained below.

Domestic tourists

Domestic tourism  is the act of travelling for business or leisure within one’s home country.  According to the UNWTO , a person must be away from their usual place of residence (but still in their home country) for at least one night to qualify as a domestic tourist.

Popular destinations for domestic tourism include the USA, India and China . This is because they are big countries with a variety of tourist experiences to offer.

International tourists

International tourism  is the act of travelling overseas for business or leisure. International tourism is one of the biggest industries in the world. Which tourists visit which destinations is determined by a number of different factors, such as distance to travel, cost of living in the  traveller generating region and the tourism destination region , the tourist ‘s culture, disposable income and a range of other factors.

Inbound tourists

Inbound tourism  is the act of someone travelling to a country other than that of where they live for the purpose of tourism.

Many countries around the world rely on inbound tourism. Inbound tourism is often seasonal, meaning that many destinations will have evident peak, shoulder and low seasons. This is often dependant on weather conditions (for example sun or snow ) and school and public holidays.

Outbound tourists

Outbound tourism  is the act of travelling ‘out’ of your home country for the purposes of tourism. Outbound tourism does not include the purchasing of good or services before or after the trip within the tourism generating country.

The terms outbound tourism and inbound tourism are often used interchangeably. This is because a tourist who is travelling internationally is both an outbound tourist (because they travel OUT of their home country) and an inbound tourist (because they travel IN to another country).

Types of tourists by tourism type

Many people will differentiate types of tourists according to the type of tourism that they are undertaking. Whilst this  can  be useful, it can also become rather complication when you consider how many different types of tourism there are! Below I have outlined some of the most common types of tourists according to tourism type, but I do suggest that you also take a look at this article, which outlines  150 different types of tourism !

Sustainable tourists

Sustainable tourism is one of the most important types of tourism, if not THE most important type of tourism that there is and more and more tourists are embracing sustainable tourism nowadays than ever before.

Sustainable tourism , also often referred to as  responsible tourism , relies on the premise of taking care of the environment, society and economy. Sustainable tourism principles intend to minimise the negative impacts of tourism, whilst maximising the positive impacts.

Ethical tourists

Ethical tourism  refers to tourism that benefits the people and the environment involved. It is closely aligned with the concepts of sustainable tourism and responsible tourism. Many tourists now seek advice on  how they can be ethical tourists  and implement this into their travel decisions and behaviours.

Experiential tourists

Experiential tourism  is derived from the concept of experiential learning, whereby a person learns and creates meaning through their experiences. Therefore, these types of tourists focus on immersion with a particular destination, its culture, people, customs and histories. Experiential tourism is popular amongst backpackers, students and tourists looking for an authentic and deep travel experience.

Adventure tourists

Adventure tourism  is one of the most exciting types of tourism. Adventure tourism is tourism which involves a degree of risk. It typically requires specialist skills or physical exertion. Adventure tourists might go rock climbing, skydiving, white water rafting, mountain climbing, zip-lining and paragliding, to name just a few examples.

Dark tourists

Dark tourism , also known as black tourism, thanatourism or grief tourism, is tourism that is associated with death or tragedy.

The act of dark tourism is somewhat controversial, with some viewing it as an act of respect and others as unethical practice. Popular dark tourism attractions include Auschwitz, Chernobyl and Ground Zero. Lesser known dark tourism attractions might include cemeteries, zombie-themed events or historical museums.

Cultural tourists

Cultural tourism  is the act of travellers visiting particular destinations in order to experience and learn about a particular culture. This can include many activities such as; attending events and festivals, visiting museums and tasting the local food and drinks. Cultural tourism can also be an unintentional part of the tourism experience, whereby cultural immersion (with the local people, their language, customs, cuisine etc) is an inevitable part of a person’s holiday.

Ecotourists

Ecotourism  is a form of tourism directed at preserving fragile environments and eco-systems. Ecotourism commonly occurs in threatened natural environments, where the intention is to provide conservation. Ecotourism efforts include building tourist facilities that have minimal impact on the natural environment, adopting the use of products such as compost toilets or solar-powered electricity.

Ecotourism has become somewhat of a ‘buzz word’ in recent years and is closely related to the concept of  sustainable tourism .

Medical tourists

Another type of tourist that is increasing rapidly are Medical tourists.  Medical tourism , also known as health tourism, refers to the act of travelling to another destination for the purpose of medical treatment. Motivations of medical tourists may include reduced costs for treatments or higher quality of provision. Medical tourists may seek life-saving treatments unavailable to them at home, cosmetic surgery or dental procedures amongst a range of other medical needs. Popular destinations include India , Turkey and Panama.

Religious tourists

Religious tourism , also known as faith tourism, refers to the act of travelling for the purposes of religious pilgrimage, missionary, or interest. A branch of  cultural tourism , religious tourism constituted some of the earliest tourism forms. Not all religious tourists conform to beliefs of or religious practices of the attractions/destinations that they are visiting which can cause conflict between visitors and worshippers. Popular religious tourism destinations include Israel, Mecca and Varanassi.

Business tourists

Business tourism , or business travel, is one of the most important types of tourism there is, because it is so big! Business tourism is essentially a form of travel which involves undertaking business activities that are based away from home.

Business tourism activities includes attending meetings, congresses, exhibitions, incentive travel and corporate hospitality.

The traveller versus tourist debate

I would like to finish off this article by paying reference to a debate that I see referenced a lot by my fellow travel bloggers- the tourism versus traveller debate- and I would like to debunk it.

There are many people who claim that they are not a tourist, but instead they are a ‘traveller’. They claim that this is because they enjoy immersing themselves into the local culture and avoiding  mass tourism  places. However, I would like to point out (as I explain in more detail in my article on the  definition of tourism ), that these people are indeed tourists, just as much as anyone else is a tourist.

As I have demonstrated throughout this article, there are many different types of tourists- yes, some enjoy local experiences and avoiding packaged, commodified and mass tourism products, and other types of tourists are at their happiest while sipping a cocktail by the pool in their  all inclusive holiday resort . It doesn’t matter exactly what we do on our travels- if we are travelling away from home to see and experience new and different places, we are tourists.

Types of tourists- further reading

If you enjoyed this article outlining the different types of tourists, I am sure that you will enjoy these articles too!

• What is alternative tourism and why is it growing so fast?
• Where to find a job in travel and tourism
• The fascinating history of tourism
• What is a workation and why should you take one?

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Plog’s Model of Tourists Behavior

Plog classifies tourists into three categories as described below −

Allocentric (The Wanderers) − A tourist who seeks new experiences and adventure in a wide range of activities. This person is outgoing and self-confident in behavior. An allocentric person prefers to fly and to explore new and unusual areas before others do so. Allocentrics enjoy meeting people from foreign or different cultures. They prefer good hotels and food, but not necessarily modern or chain-type hotels. For a tour package, an allocentric would like to have the basics such as transportation and hotels, but not be committed to a structured itinerary. They would rather have the freedom to explore an area, make their own arrangements and choose a variety of activities and tourist attractions.

Psychocentric (The Repeater) − A tourist falling in this category is usually non-adventuresome. They prefer to return to familiar travel destinations where they can relax and know what types of food and activity to expect. Such tourists prefer to drive to destinations, stay in typical accommodations, and eat at family-type restaurants.

Midcentric (Combination) − This category of tourists covers the ones who swing between the above said two types.

Henley Centre Model of Holidaymaking

A British Consultancy of Futurology, Henley Center has divided the tourists into four phases −

Phase I- Bubble Travelers − They do not have much money as well as knowledge. They prefer packaged tours. They long to observe different cultures without being a part of it. They travel mostly out of curiosity.

Phase II- Idealized Experience Seekers − They are confident tourists with the experience of foreign tours. They are flexible and comfortable. They prefer tour offers made for individuals.

Phase III- Seasoned Travelers − These tourists are more affluent than the idealized-experience seekers. They are more confident to experiment and experience different places and environments. They are more adventurous and prefer individualistic tours.

Phase IV- Complete Immersers − These tourists have an intention of immersing completely into the foreign culture, heritage, culinary experience, and language. Their holidaying is well-planned but not well-structured.

In the above phases, the tourist goes through different phases and therefore also seeks different tourism options or destinations.

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Understanding Psychographics in Tourism: A Tool for Segmenting Tourists

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Psychographic segmentation is related to people’s interests, personality, lifestyle, values and attitude. It is considered vital as it provides a narrower and targeted approach to study the consumers. The takeaways from the chapters are: the concept of psychographics and its applicability in the tourism industry, the importance of psychographic segmentation in tourism marketing, Psychographic Segmentation and Activities, Interests and Opinions (AIO), consumer delight and its relationship with market segmentation, and the psychographic behaviour of future tourists.

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Agarwal, S., Singh, P. (2021). Understanding Psychographics in Tourism: A Tool for Segmenting Tourists. In: Sharma, A., Hassan, A. (eds) Future of Tourism in Asia. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-1669-3_12

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psychocentric tourist  

The opposite of the adventurous allocentric tourist. The psychocentric seeks familiarity, hence the Costa Brava, Spain, and advertisements ‘Tea like ...

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What is the example of allocentric tourist?

Allocentric tourists are people are outgoing, curious, risk taking people that enjoy learning and searching for history. They like exploring or taking exotic adventures and uncharted secluded places. They love taking risks and doing spontaneous things. For example, climbing mount Everest, going to Africa , The South Pacific, the Canadian Arctic or Orient....doing things and going places people wouldnt usually go.... you crave adventure.

Fremie Joy Lura ∙

What are activities will give you to the allocentric and psychocentric person?

Add your answer:

What are the characteristics of psychocentric tourist and allocentric tourist?

- Allocentric Tourist: Would prefer less touristic places, enjoys innovation, meeting the foreign, flexible on his travel.- Psychocentric Tourist: Suspicious, prefer familiarity, conserved on travel decisions. Less involved and very well planned.[J.P, 2013]

What is allocentric tourist destination?

A destination or a place which is not invaded by other visitors from other regions/ country

What is a allocentric tourist destination?

What is mid centric tourists.

Tourist who go to those places that have been popularized by the allocentric . However,these places are not so adventures.

What are the characteristic of psychocentric tourist and allocentric tourist?

ALLOCENTRIC - tourists who try new things, they don't like things being organized or planned and they do not return to the same destination, they like being adventurousMID-CENTRIC - tourists who go to places that have been popularized by the allocentric, they are not so adventurous, neither are they afraidPSYCHOCENTRIC - tourists who like things being planned and they are afraid to take risks, they oftenly travel to places they are familiar with

What is the meaning of Midcentric in tourism?

This is between allocentric and psychocentric

What the means of allocentric?

Allocentric refers to a perspective or approach that is focused on external references or objects in relation to oneself. It contrasts with egocentric, which is centered around the self as the point of reference.

What is an example of a Tourist Board?

an example of a tourist board would be "visit britain" :)

What does tourist mean to a country?

the word tourist means a person on vacation to a state it does not live on. For example : When i went to Hawaii i was a tourist

Is a tourist an example of speculative motive?

What is tourist industry.

the tourist industry is the tourism level and things of tourism in the world for example hotels are part of the tourist industry airports and plains are part of the tourist industry ETC...

Example of invitation letter for a tourist visa?

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