Tourist typology: an ex ante approach

Author: Zalatan, Antoine

Source: Tourism Economics, Volume 10, Number 3, 1 September 2004 , pp. 329-343(15)

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Abstract:

A tourist typology based on an ex ante rather than an ex post approach is proposed and examined. An 'ex ante' tourist classification can facilitate the planning process and provide a basis for tourism marketing. Five conceptual tourist classifications were formulated. Two samples (N = 615, 1997) and (N = 528, 2002) were used to test the proposed classification. The 'social tourist' classification (goes where friends, family and neighbours go) captured over 45% of the tourist classifications, followed by the 'conventional tourist' (19.8%, relies largely on the services of a travel agent), the 'marketing tourist' (17.5%, goes to places that are widely advertised), the 'planning tourist' (10.7%, plans all aspects of the vacation trip in detail), and finally the 'impulsive tourist' (6.1%, decides on the spur of the moment). The respondents' classifications were also confirmed by a separate set of data (20 questions) which describe each tourist category. The validity of the theoretical tourist typology was tested by a 'confirmatory factory analysis' to ensure that the conceptual model and the 20 questions were compatible.

Keywords: TYPOLOGY; PLANNING TOURIST; SOCIAL TOURIST; IMPULSIVE TOURIST; MARKETING TOURIST; CONVENTIONAL TOURIST

Document Type: Regular paper

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5367/0000000041895030

Publication date: 2004-09-01

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Tourism Economics, published bimonthly, is a peer-reviewed journal devoted to the economics and finance of tourism worldwide. Articles address the components of the tourism product (accommodation; restaurants; merchandizing; attractions; transport; entertainment; tourist activities); and the economic organization of tourism at micro and macro levels (market structure; role of public/private sectors; community interests; strategic planning; marketing; finance; economic development).

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Tourist typology: an ex ante approach

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