THE

SOCIOLOG
Y OF
TOURISM
 Objectives
• explain the social nature of travel
and social effects of tourism;
• be aware of the socioeconomic
variables and their effects on travel;
and
• enumerate and discuss the
preferences of international tourists.
Social Nature Of Travel
 Travel is brought about by the social
nature of man. Human beings, as
social animals, feel comfortable in a
tour group. They feel that trip is more
enjoyable and free from anxiety if they
join a group tour. Camaraderie often
develops friendships that last for
years.
In some subcultures, travel is the
accepted way of spending one’s
vacation. Sabbatical leaves and foreign
assignments make it possible for
university faculty members and
employees to travel and develop a
passion for it.
• Tourism evolves a mutual trust
and respect for one another and
the dignity of life on earth.
According to Pope John Paul II,
“The world is becoming a global
village in which people from
different continents are made of
feel like next door neighbors. In
facilitating more authentic social
relationships between individuals,
tourism can help overcome many
real prejudices and faster new
bonds of fraternity.”
The Social Effect
of Tourism
01
1. Social
02
2. The
03
3. The behavior
04
4. The behavior
relations confrontation of of people of the host
between people different released from population which
who would not cultures, ethnic many of the has to reconcile
groups, life – social and economic gain
normally meet. and benefits with
styles, economic
languages, constraints of the cost of living
levels of everyday life. with strangers.
prosperity, and
the likes.
Socioeconomic Variables and their Effect on
Travel
• There are several differences between patterns of travel
based on age. Younger people tend to select more active
recreational activities than older people. The elderly (those in
the late sixties and upward) prefer more passive forms of
recreation such as fishing, sight – seeing and playing golf.
Older tourists tend to travel to farther destinations, prefer
ship travel, travel more in spring than do younger tourists
and spend less than middle age tourists but more than
younger tourists.

AGE
 • Income and social status have a
great influence on travel. Rich
persons as well as persons
with higher social status travel
more than those with lower
income and social class status.
Higher income tourists stay
longer and spend more per day
than those with lower incomes.

Income and Social

Status
 • There is a strong correlation between
education and travel. Generally speaking, the
better educated members of the population
have a greater desire to travel. Researchers
have found that the more educated the
travelers are, they tend to be more
sophisticated in their tastes. They prefer
activities which require the development of
interpretative and expressive skills such as
attending plays, concerts, art museums,
reading books, playing golf, tennis, and skiing.

Education
 • The presence of children in the
family limits travel. More
leisure time is spent at home.
As the children grow up and
leave home, the married
couples renew interest in
travel. Couples in this life stage
usually have more discretionary
income and are more
financially capable to travel

Life Stages of the

Family
The Rise of New Travel
Patterns
 • The most significant development in
group travel consists of travel clubs.
A very good example of these is the
Club Mediterranee which started in
Western Europe and then spread to
North America and other areas of the
world. In this group travel plan, a
Travel club member enjoys travel
opportunities and vacation
Club destination facilities at a much
cheaper price than the paid by a non –
member. The accommodations offered
by the club range from deluxe to very
modest. There is also a wide choice of
locations, climate and other vacation
features.
Airline Group and Arrangements

Another development in group travel is the

introduction of different types of tour fares
promoted by airline. These are the following:
1. Groups of 15 or more are given reduced
fares.
2. Charter service is given by some airlines
to affinity group tours which are intended for
those affiliated to a legitimate group for a
period of six months or longer.
3. Public charter in which an entire airplane
is made available to a group of persons who
travel to the same destination.
4. Incentive tours which are given by firms
to employees as a reward for a special
achievement or as a motivation for
achievement.
 Special Interest
Groups
• Special interest group
travel is becoming more
popular at present. These
are tours arranged for
those who are interested
in a particular activity
such as bird watching,
festivals, hunting, scuba,
diving, photography,
flower arrangement, golf,
skiing, mountain climbing,
etc.
Preferences of the
International Tourist
1. Relaxation versus Activity

2. Familiarity versus Novelty

3. Dependence versus Autonomy

4. Order versus Disorder

• Before, the work week for most people including
the middle class was long and exhausting. Thus,
they demanded holidays that offered relaxation
and rest. At present, the work week has been
shortened and the annual holiday leave has
been lengthened. Work has become less
tiresome and people have become used to
greater leisure. Relaxation has become possible
throughout the year. So, people have started to
use their no holiday – time leisure to experience
new activity skills such as sailing, climbing,
horse riding, and sports. The demand for
activity – oriented travel has greatly increased.
Relaxation vs. Activity
 Familiarity versus
Novelty
In general, most tourists, on their first
trip abroad, tend to seek familiarity rather
than novelty. They search for something
that will remind them of home, whether it
is food, newspaper, living quarters or
another person from their own country. As
soon as they find a place where they feel
at home, these tourists will go back to the
same place for a number of times. Not
until they have gained more experience in
travelling will they want to go to new
environment – to see customs and cultures
different from their own, to mix with
people who speak differently, eat
differently, and dress differently.
 Dependence versus Autonomy
In the past, tourists joined
package tours in which
transportation, lodging, food,
sightseeing, entertainment were
fixed in advance by the tour
agency. At present, there is the
emergence of a group of tourists
who would like to acquire a sense
of personal autonomy regarding
their leisure time. They would
like to travel on their own and not
part of a group. They would like
to feel independent; in complete
control of what they do and how
they do it.
 Order versus
Disorder

In the past, the tourists

sought holidays which enforced
the traditional concept of
conformity – set meals at fixed
times, guide books which told
them the right places to visit,
resorts where their fellow
tourists were tidy, well –
behaved, properly dressed. They
avoided situations where their
adult – imposed sense of
orderliness might be offended.
Types of Tourist Roles
 Organized Mass
Tourist
• This type of tourist is least
adventurous. He buys a package
tour in which the itinerary of his
trip is fixed in advance and his
stops are well – prepared and
guided. He seldom makes
decisions for himself. He prefers a
familiar environment rather than
a new environment.
 to the organized mass tourist
except that the individual
mass tourist has a certain
degree of control over his
time and itinerary and is not
bound to a group. However,
Individu all the major arrangements of
his tour are still made
al Mass through a travel agency. Like
Tourist the organized mass tourist,
he, too, travels within his own
country and goes out of it
only occasionally. Familiarity
is still dominant but less than
the organized mass tourist.
The desire for novelty is
 The Explorer
• This type of tourist arranges his
trip by himself and looks for
comfortable and reliable means
of transportation. He tries to
associate with the people he
visits and to speak their
language. The explorer dares to
leave his country much more
than the previous two types, but
goes back to it when the
experience becomes too rough.
Although novelty dominates,
the explorer does not adopt
The Drifter
• This goes farthest away from the
accustomed ways of life his own
country. He is almost totally
immersed in his host culture. He
tries to live the way the people
he visits live and to share their
shelter, food, and habits. He
retains only the most basic of his
native customs. He arranges his
own trip and does not seek the
help of a tour agency. He does
not have fixed itinerary. Novelty
is at its highest; familiarity
disappears almost completely.