3874945216

Social Psychology of Tourism

Goals

•  understand and analyze why different people seek different tourism experiences

• Understand the concepts of Environmental Bubble and Strangeness

• Introduce concept of cultural distance

• Introduce concept of social interaction

Sociology and Tourism

• Sociology is the science of society, social institutions and social relationships.

• Traveling involves moving from a known, comfortable environment to an unknown and sometimes quite strange and threatening environment.

• Tourists may need to manage their social interaction social relationships differently 

• Different abilities to cope with strangeness• Visitors may also affect the living habits and

standards of local residents.

Some social impacts

Negative• Higher crime rates

• the attraction of undesirable people

• Resentment by local residents

• raising the cost of living

• congestion

• drunkenness and poor behavior by visitors

• loss of jobs to outsiders

Positive• opportunity to learn from each

other

• Global understanding

• break down stereotypes

• Preservation and conservation of cultural and heritage resources

• Jobs

• Better services

Sociologists concerns about tourism

• Tourist ghetto– people no longer experience reality - immersed

in a "thicket of unreality." – Tourism, driven by pseudo events and

contrived experiences.– tourist experience and the type of tourist

development had to become more contrived– Tourist isolated from destination

• Collects passport stamps but not experiences

Cohen’s 5 types of tourist

• Recreational,

• Diversionary,

• Experiential,

• Experimental, and

• Existential

Recreational

• Travel to re-create, to regenerate and to restore their mental and physical well being.

Diversionary

• S a temporary escape from their boring and meaningless routine.

Experiential

• Looks for meanings in the life of others.

Experimental

• going on a quest to try different cultures, lifestyles, but returns

Existential

• Fully committed to seeking different experiences

• Join an ashram in India,

Plog’s (1974, 2001) Psychographics

• tourist population is like all other populations and can be characterized along a normal population distribution curve based on their psychological profile

• Underlying psychology influences:– Desire to travel– Frequency of travel– Type of travel, and– Destination Choice

6 Pyschographic Segments

• allocentric / venturer

• near allocentric / near venturer

• centric (two groups centric venturer, centric dependable)

• near psychocentric / near dependable

• psychocentric / dependable

Source: Plog 2001

Allocentric / Venturer

• Extreme end (4% of population)

• Innovators

Allocentric Profile

Allocentric Travel

Pyschocentrics / Dependables

• Other extreme (4% of population)

• generally do not like to travel

• ‘psycho’ – me

• Focused on self or inward looking

Psychocentric profile

Psychocentric travel

Most people fall in between

Near Psychocentric / Near Dependable

• Share much in common with psychocentrics

• Travel for acceptance

• Travel as a cultural norm

• Visit well known places

• Travel to amusement parks

Near Allocentric / Near Venturer

• Share much in common with allocentrics

• Sports tourists

• Special interest tourism

• See travel as a challenge and a chance to grow

• A chance to try a new lifestyle

Midcentrics

• Fall in the middle, but may lean one way or the other

• Majority of travelers

Midcentric profile

• relax and pleasure spend time with friends and family

• seek recreation, change

• escape

• appreciate beauty

• indulgence

• Moderate risk, but let others try things first

Travel preferences

Psychographic Profile

• Determines type of destination sought

You Mostly

More Often

Equally More Often

Mostly

1 2 3 4 5

A. A chance to get closer to my family & friends

A chance to learn about another culture

B. Visit places I have been to before & am familiar with

Go to New places

C. Join local tours Travel independently

D. Pre-plan an itinerary

Follow no planned itinerary

E. Shop Visit museums

F. Eat food I am familiar with

Taste local cuisine/eat exotic food

G.

Visit a destination’s well know attractions/sites first

Visit out of the way and obscure attractions/sites first

H. Visit as many sites as possible

Visit a small number of sites & spend a great deal of time at each one

I. Visit places where I can speak my own language

Visit places where I do not speak the local language

J Travel for short breaks

Take one long (6 month or longer) trip

2.00

2.10

2.20

2.30

2.40

2.50

2.60

2.70

2.80

2.90

3.00

3.10

3.20

3.30

3.40

3.50

3.60

3.70

3.80

3.90

4.00

4.20

4.30

4.40

average score of variables

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Per

cen

t

Moderated by

Origin of tourist • China is allocentric for Americans, but

psychocentric for Hong Kongers

Physical distance:• Because of time, cost and effort required, some

destinations will always be allocentrics

Cultural distance• Language and cultural differences restrict travel

Psychocentrics Midcentrics Allocentrics

Take tours Go to new places Experience different cultures

Pre-plan trip Prefer to visit museums and go shopping

Visit few sites but spend more time at them

Prefer short breaks

Eat different foods

Little pre-planning

Prefer shopping Language not important

Experience different cultures

Visit well known places

References

• Chapter 11 of the text.• Adler J (1989) The Origins of Sightseeing, Annals of

Tourism Research, Vol 16 pp 7 - 29• Cohen E. (1972) Towards a Sociology of International

Tourism, Social Research, Vol 39 pp 164 - 182• Cohen E. (1979) A Phenomenology of Tourist

Experiences, Sociology, Vol 13, pp 170 -201.• Urry J (1990) The Consumption of Tourism, Sociology,

Vol 24 # 1 pp 23 - 35• Urry J (1990) The Tourist Gaze, SAGE Publications

London pp 56 - 72