A three dimensional tourist typology

This paper proposes a three dimensional typology of tourists. The Three Dimensional Tourist Typology (TDT) is based upon individuals venturesomeness, interactiveness, and level of sensation seeking. The model presented in this paper combines Plog‟s (1974, 2001) PsychoAllocentric model, Eysenck and Eysenck‟s (1964) Personality Inventory, and a Sensation Seeking (Eachus 2004; Litvin 2007) dimension. A description of a „typical‟ tourist in each of the eight types is presented. Two examples of the potential applications of the TDT include identifying different types of tourists for the food tourism niche market and the medical tourism niche market. Two substantial insights emerge. First the marketing of destinations to target groups of tourist could become more effective with subgroups more easily identifiable providing each tourist destination with the ability to identify the type of tourists their promotions aim to attract, particularly in the case of niche tourism. Secondly, as an empirical tool for further examination of niche tourists‟ personalities.

VOLUME 4(2) July-November 2015