Trends in tourist`s consumer behavior Trends in travel motivation

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Traveller category

The five clearest role-related behaviours

(in order of relative importance)

Perreault, Dorden and Dorden (1979)

Budget travellers

who had medium incomes, but sought low-cost vacations

Adventurous tourists

who were well educated and affluent and showed a preference for adventurous holidays

Homebody tourists

who were cautious people who took holidays but did not discuss their vacation with other people, and spent relatively little time planning it

Vacationers

who were a small group who spent lots of time thinking about their next holiday and tended to be active people in lower paid jobs

Moderates

who had a high predisposition to travel but were not in terested in weekend breaks or sports.

Westvlaams Ekonomisch Studiebureau (1986)

Active sea lovers

who want to take a holiday by the sea, with a beach close by

Contact-minded holiday-makers

who value making new friends on holiday and being hospitably received by local people

Nature viewers

who want to be well received by the host population while enjoying very beautiful landscapes

Rest-seekers

who want a chance to relax and rest while on holiday

Discoverers

who like cultural holidays and some adventure, but they also like to meet new people

Family-orientated sun and sea lovers

who were the largest group and like to do things together as a family and seek ‘child-friendly’ activities

Traditionalists

who value safety and security and try to avoid surprises by sticking with familiar destinations and types of holiday

Dalen (1989)

Modern materialists

want to get a tan to impress people when they get home. They like partying and are more concerned with drink than food. Hedonism is their main motivation.

Modern idealists

also seek excitement and entertainment but want both to be more intellectual than the modern materialists. They do not, however, want mass tourism or fixed itineraries.

Traditional idealists

demand quality, culture, heritage, famous places, peace and security.

Traditional materialists

always look for special offers and low prices, and have a strong concern with personal security

Gallup and American Express (1989)

Adventurers

who are independent and confident and like to try new activities

Worriers

who worry about the stress of travel and their safety and security while on holiday

Dreamers

who are fascinated by the idea of travel and they read and talk a lot about their travel experiences and different destinations

Economizers

who simply see travel as a routine opportunity for relaxation rather than as a special part of their life, and as such they want to enjoy holidays at the lowest possible price

Indulgers

who want to be pampered when they are on holiday

Smith (1989)

Explorers

are a small group who travel almost as anthropologists.

Elite tourists

are experienced frequent travellers who like expensive tailor-made tours.

Off-beat

tourists aim to get away from other tourists

Unusual tourists

make side trips from organized tours to experience local culture.

Incipient mass tourists

travel to established destinations where tourism is not yet totally dominant.

Masstourists

expect the same things they are used to at home.

Chartertourists

have little or no interest in the destination itself pro viding that the holiday gives them the entertainment and standards of food and accommodation they expect.

Wickens (1994)

Cultural heritage tourists

are interested in the natural beauty, history and culture of destintion. They long to experience the ‘traditional village life’ portrayed in the holiday brochures. They use the seaside re sort as a base from which to tour the attractions in the region. This group tends to be made up of family groups and older holiday-makers.

Ravers

are attracted by the nightlife and the cheapness and availabil ity of alcohol. They also enjoy the sun and the beach. They tend to swim and sunbathe in the day, and go ‘clubbing’ at night. These are mostly young males.

‘Shirley Valentines’

are women on holiday with other women who hope for romance and sexual encounters with men. For these women their holiday represents an opportunity to get away from their everyday lives of domesticity.

Heliolatrous’

tourists are sun-worshippers whose main aim is to get a tan. They spend much of their holiday in the open air.

‘Lord Byrons’

tend to return year after year to the same destination and even the same hotel or accommodation unit. They are in love with destination, particularly its perceived relaxed, ‘laid back’ lifestyle. They want to be treated as a guest not as a tourist. They are after nostalgia and lament the impact of mass tourism on their favourite destination.

Tourist

Takes photos, buys souvenirs, goes to famous places, stays briefly in one place, does not understand the local people

Traveller

Stays briefly in one place, experiments with local food, goes to famous places, takes photos, explores places privately

Holidaymaker

Takes photos, goes to famous places, is alienated from society, buys souvenirs, contributes to the visited economy

Jet-setter

Lives a life of luxury, concerned with social status, seeks sensual pleasures, prefers interacting with people of his/her own kind, goes to famous places

Businessman

Concerned with social status, contributes to the economy, does not take photos, prefers interacting with people of his/her own kind, lives a life luxury

Migrant

Has language problems, prefers interacting with people of his/her own kind, does not understand the local people, does not live a life of luxury, does not exploit the local people

Conservationist

Interested in the environment, does not buy souvenirs, does not exploit the local people, explores places privately, takes photos

Explorer

Explores places privately, interested in the environment, takes physical risks, does not buy souvenirs, keenly observes the visited society

Missionary

Does not buy souvenirs, searches for the meaning of life, does not live a life of luxury, does not seek sensual pleasures, keenly observes the visited society

Overseas student

Experiments with local food, does not exploit the local people, takes photos, keenly observes the visited society, takes physical risks

Anthro

pologist

Keenly observes the visited society, explores places privately, interested in the environment, does not buy souvenirs, takes photos

Hippie

Does not buy souvenirs, does not live a life of luxury, is not concerned with social status, does not take photos, does not contribute to the economy

International athlete

Is not alienated from own society, does not exploit the local people, does not understand the local people, explores places privately, searches for the meaning of life

Overseas journalist

Takes photos, keenly observes the visited society, goes to famous places, takes physical risks, explores places privately

Religious pilgrim

Searches for the meaning of life, does not live a life of luxury, is not concerned with social status, does not exploit the local people, does not buy souvenirs