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.

Fly with a reputable airline.

Time limit: 5 minutes

Environmental bubble?• 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 ClassificationTourism combines

curiosity to seek out new experiences with the need for

security of familiar reminders of home

seek out new experience

Curiosity

familiar reminder of home

Security

ExplorerDrifter Individual mass tourist

Organized mass tourist

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

Explorer Drifter Individual

Mass Tourist

Organized Mass

Tourist

Cohen’s Classification

Where is the tourist? p.2

Spend most of the time inside/ always inside

Still confined

by it/ Often

inside

Dare to leave/ rarely

inside

Go further away from it/ far away from

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 p.3

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

Cohen’s Classification

What type is it? p.2

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 personalityYour 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.5Allocentric 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 ClassificationPsychocentric 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 ClassificationMid-centric Type• between allocentric and psychocentric• not particularly adventurous• receptive to new experience

Plog’s Classification p.4

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