TYPOLOGY OF TOURISTS

We may know the typology of tourists based on many classifications. According to Murphy (1985), typology can be classified into 2 groups that are based on interactional type and based on cognitive-normative models. Based on interactional type, it does emphasize to the interaction characteristics between tourists as guests and local people as host. Based on cognitive-normative models, it does more emphasize to the motivation which caused the travel.

By use of interactionalphenomenological, Cohen (1972) classified tourists based on familiarization levels of destination and tour and travel organized level. Based on its, Cohen differentiated tourists as 4 kinds which are:

1.Drifter, tourists who want to visit some destination where they never know before and travel in small number,

2.Explorer, tourist who travel by arrange their tour by themselves and do not want to follow the usual route but looking for unusual (off the beaten track). These tourists like to use the local standard facilities and high interaction level with local people.

3.Individual mass tourist, tourist who lets his travel organizing into travel agent and visits popular destinations.

4.Organized-mass tourist, tourist who only visit the popular destination with usual facilities as in his country. His travel always leads by travel guide and depend on environmental bubble.

As conclusion, drifter and explorer type are non-institutionalized traveler, whereas individual and organized mass tourist are institutionalized tourist.

Then Smith (1977) also classified tourist into 7 kinds:

1.Explorer, tourist who looking for new travels and has intensive interaction with local community. This tourist accepts a drop of facilities as simplicity in destinations, respect to the norm and values of local community.

2.Elite, tourist who visits the destination where he did not know before but with organizing before and travel in small number.

3.Off-beat, tourist who looking for his own attraction, doesn’t visit the crowded and noisy places and also ready to accept the simple facilities in destination.

4.Unusual, tourist who in his travel add addition/extra activities to visit new places or do some risk activities. This tourist ready to accept the simple facilities but also asked for the standard facilities in destination.

5.Incipient mass, tourist who travel individually or in small group and looking for destination where has standard facilities bur still offers originality or authenticity.

6.Mass, tourist who travel to destinations with similar facilities as his origin country or visits destinations with similar environmental bubble. This tourist has low interaction with local community except they be in contact to tourism service trade directly.

7.Charter, tourist who visits the destination where has similar environment to his origin country and only for having fun and relaxing. This tourist travel in large number and ask for high standard of facilities/international facilities.

Based on cognitive-normative models, motivation as background for travelling reason is the main focus. For this kind, the sociology concept about tourist’s centre as to the morality, values, norm, etc, become important. Related to its, Plog (1973) evolved typology of tourist into 2 kinds:

1.Allocentric, tourist who wants to visit destinations where he did not know before. Usually as adventure characteristic and use all facilities prepared by local community.

2.Psychocentric, tourist who only wants to visit destinations where already had standard facilities as his origin country. He travels by certain program and use international standard facilities.

3.Mid-centric, tourist who situated between allocentric and psychocentric.

According to this, Cohen (1979) also differentiated tourist into a group of modern pilgrimage tourist and a group of search for pleasure tourist. In this case, Cohen viewed that centre for a tourist could be spiritual centre or cultural centre where this person is looking for “meaning/sense”. This “meaning/sense” cannot find at home but in travel. Based on this phenomenology, Cohen divided tourist as:

1.Existential, tourist who is leaving his daily life and looking for escapee to expand his spiritual needs with join the local community intensively.

2.Experimental, tourist who is looking for different life style than his daily life style by join the local community visited life style. This tourist directly assimilates into the way of life of local community.

3.Experiential, tourist who is looking for the meaning into the local community life and enjoys the originality of traditional life of local community.

4.Diversionary, tourist who is looking for escapee from his bored routine activities and looking for recreational facilities in high standard/international standard facilities.

5.Recreational, tourist who is doing his travel as a way to entertain himself, for relaxation, and refresh his spirit (physically and psychology) by looking for the comfort places.

The conclusion is existential, experimental and experiential tourists are include into modern pilgrimage, whereas diversionary and recreational are include into search for pleasure type.

Based on tourists behavior, Gray (1970) differentiated tourists into 2 kinds which are:

1.Sunlust tourist, who visit destination with primary purpose for resting and relaxation, so this kind of tourist always visits destination in multiple S characteristic (sun, sea, sand). This tourist hopes for weather and climate, facilities, foods, etc as similar standard as his origin country.

2.Wonderlust tourist, who motivated to get new experiences, knows new cultures, views beautiful scenes, with originality, unique points and high education values.

All typology of tourist above has weakness such as:

1.It’s theoretical and may not originally found into tourism field. For example all tourists also has their own itinerary even though it’s not too tight and simple.

2.A tourist not always be in one type for all along. It maybe change depend on his travel time and needs.

3.All typology are not consider to what caused for a tourist has specific behavior for example a tourist prefer to travel by himself/individually than in a large number caused by financial or time consideration.

4.A tourist experience at destination is not singular but combination from many experiences that maybe include into different typology.

5.All typology is ethic which based on research view/opinion and not emic.

6.It is too static and descriptive where using empirical macro without considering the empirical micro situation.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Cohen, Eric. 1972. Toward Sociology of International Tourism. Social Research 39 (1) : 164-182.

Cohen, Eric. 1979. Rethinking the Sociology of Tourism. Annals of Tourism Research 6 (1) : 19-35.

Gray, H. 1970. International Travel-International Trade, DC Healt, Lexington.

Murphy , P.E. 1985. Tourism: A Community Approach. New York and London : Routledge.

Plog, S.C. 1973. Why Destination Areas Rise and Fall in Popularity. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Association Quarterly 14 (3) : 13-16.

Smith, V. (ed). 1989 [1977]. Host and Guests: The Anthropology of Tourism. Philadelphia. University of Pennsylvania Press.