The sacred and the profane: A Tourist Typology
Introduction
Although much writing on tourism treats the tourist as a unitary type, some analysts have recognized that an understanding of the touristic experience requires constructing typologies (Cohen 1972). It is argued that focusing on the tourists themselves and their typological forms helps explain why people are attracted to specific destinations (Jafari 1989:26–27).
Following a brief review of the literature on typologies of roles and experiences, this paper presents a case study from Chalkidiki, a region in Northern Greece, which shows that different tourist types experience the same host community in different ways. Analysis of qualitative data obtained from 86 British participants has led to the identification of five types: the Cultural Heritage, the Raver, the Shirley Valentine, the Heliolatrous, and the Lord Byron. Each category brackets off a set of respondents who exhibit similarities in their enactment of a particular role (Goffman 1967). Using Goffman's theoretical heritage, together with ethnographic evidence from Chalkidiki, this paper suggests that, while tourists commit themselves to play the institutionalized role (Cohen 1972), they may also choose an additional role by entering into one of five scenarios observed in Kalimeria.
Kalimeria (a pseudonym) is a coastal village/resort in Kassandra, Chalkidiki. The region is a fast developing tourism area and is evolving into one of the largest destinations in Northern Greece. Chalkidiki has a plethora of attractions, including long golden beaches, traditional villages, and the ancient site of Stagira, the birth place of Aristotle. Like other holiday regions in Greece, it can “guarantee” the sun. Therefore, it is not surprising that Chalkidiki becomes congested during the summer months with both foreign and domestic tourists. Extreme peaks occur between mid-July and mid-August. Most arrivals originate from northern European countries, particularly the United Kingdom, Germany, and Austria. A high proportion are drawn from the lower income brackets.
Section snippets
The Sacred and the Profane
The literature demonstrates that some analysts have felt the need to subdivide tourists into categories (Cohen 1972, 1974; Pearce 1982). Cohen was one of the first sociologists to propose a typology to conceptually clarify the term “tourist”. His four-fold typology—the drifter, the explorer, the individual mass, and the organized mass—is based on the degree of institutionalization of the tourist. This classification is often cited in academic studies, and attempts have been made to develop and
Conclusion
This paper presented evidence that participants on an organized package holiday to Chalkidiki commit themselves into Cohen's individual mass tourist role. An understanding of this commitment is developed in terms of three feeling states or motivating forces: the wish to escape from everyday life, the pursuit of pleasure, and ontological security. In addition, this paper has argued that, despite an individual's commitment to play the part assigned to him/her by the industry, an individual also
Eugenia Wickens is Senior Lecturer in Tourism, and Faculty Research Student Tutor in the Faculty of Leisure and Tourism, Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College (Wellesbourne Campus, Kingshill Road, High Wycombe HP13 5BB, UK. Email <[email protected]>). Her current research interests are in coastal and heritage tourism, tourists' experiences and behavior, motivation, and particularly in the sociocultural impacts of tourism.
References (27)
Traditions in the Qualitative Sociology of Tourism
Annals of Tourism Research
(1988)Anomie, Ego-Enhancement and Tourism
Annals of Tourism Research
(1977)Tourist Motivation: An Appraisal
Annals of Tourism Research
(1981)- et al.
Us and the Others: The Experiences of Different Ethnic Minorities in the Greek Cities of Athens and Thessaloniki
Annals of Tourism Research
(1999) - et al.
The Psychological Nature of Leisure and Tourism Experience
Annals of Tourism Research
(1987) The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America
(1964)Towards a Sociology of International Tourism
Social Research
(1972)Who is a Tourist? A Conceptual Clarification
Sociological Review
(1974)A Phenomenology of Tourist Experiences
Sociology
(1979)- et al.
Escape Attempts: The Theory and Practice of Resistance to Everyday Life
(1992)
Modernity and Self-identity
The Consequences of Modernity
Encounters: Two Studies in the Sociology of Interaction
Cited by (220)
Thinking geographically about how people become wiser: An analysis of the spatial dislocations and intercultural encounters of international migrants
2022, Social Sciences and Humanities OpenOn-site animosity and national identity: Business travelers on stage
2021, Annals of Tourism ResearchCitation Excerpt :The travelers' transition from one strategy to another (as illustrated in Fig. 1) supported Goffman's notion of role performances (1961) and the perspective of performativity (Edensor, 2000, 2001), according to which travelers have some degree of freedom in performing their roles. As noted, this point of view has been supported empirically by studies on leisure travelers (e.g., Edensor, 2000, 2001; Jacobsen, 2000; Wickens, 2002). The findings of the present study revealed that Israeli business travelers may also choose to some extent whether to embrace a social role (their national identity) or distance themselves from it.
Travel for mindfulness through Zen retreat experience: A case study at Donghua Zen Temple
2021, Tourism ManagementTourist experiences: Insights from psychology
2024, Tourist Experiences: Insights from PsychologyA pilgrim but a tourist too: re-examining the contemporary links
2024, Current Issues in TourismPerceived Destination Restorative Qualities in Wellness Tourism: The Role of Ontological Security and Psychological Resilience
2024, Journal of Travel Research
Eugenia Wickens is Senior Lecturer in Tourism, and Faculty Research Student Tutor in the Faculty of Leisure and Tourism, Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College (Wellesbourne Campus, Kingshill Road, High Wycombe HP13 5BB, UK. Email <[email protected]>). Her current research interests are in coastal and heritage tourism, tourists' experiences and behavior, motivation, and particularly in the sociocultural impacts of tourism.