4.2 & 4.3

After studying this and previous units, you will be aware that there are a number of ways in which tourists can be put into groups. However, it is not easy to put all tourists into neat groups and to a certain degree, each tourist is a bit different from everybody else!

A range of terms used to describe types and groups of tourists can be found in the boxes below. You can add to the types and groups if you think of other terms. Read through the information in all of the boxes.

What types of people visit the destination?

• Families – with young children, with very young children, with teenage children
• Couples – young couples, middle-aged, older couples
• Single people – younger, older
• People with disabilities – sight/hearing impaired, mobility
• Groups of people – stag and hen parties, sports teams, coach parties

Where have they come from?

• Day trippers from nearby areas
• Other parts of the UK
• Nearby European countries such as France and Germany
• Other parts of Europe
• Long-haul English-speaking countries such as the USA and Australia
• Asian countries such as India and China
• Other countries

What do they enjoy doing?

• Sunbathing and beach-based activities
• Water sports such as sailing and wind surfing
• Hill and mountain activities – walking, climbing, abseiling, mountain biking
• Cycling
• Watching sports
• Taking part in team sports or as individuals
• Exploring historic sites and cultural attractions
• Enjoy nightlife, visiting clubs and bars
• Eating in nice restaurants
• Visiting the theatre or cinema
• Visiting theme parks
• Visiting children’s theme parks
• Visiting farm attractions
• Going to leisure centres and swimming pools
• Going to funfairs and arcades
• Joining guided walks

How much money do they have?

• High-end luxury traveller
• Middle-income
• Family on a tight budget
• Young backpacker with little money
• Business traveller on expenses
• Couple with reasonable income
• Someone on benefits

Are they on holiday?

• Weekend visitors
• Business tourists
• Staying a week
• Staying more than a week
• Staying with friends and family
• Day visitors
• Attending a wedding
• Attending a conference or exhibition

Where do they want to stay?

• 4 and 5-star hotels
• 2 and 3-star hotels
• B&Bs and guesthouses
• Hostels
• Camp sites and caravan parks
• Lodges
• Self-catering

How do they travel?

• Arrive in their own car
• Arrive and travel around the destination by bus
• Arrive by train and use public transport
• Arrive by train but cycle round the destination
• Use tourist transport such as water taxis and trolleys
• Use taxis

Activity

Once you have read through the various types of tourists you need to think carefully about the types and groups of tourists for which your chosen destination could add to its appeal.  This will give you some ideas about what the destination should do to increase its appeal to different types of tourists.

See if you can identify 6 or 7 tourist types (by age, activity etc.) using the lists above. 

You could use the information from the previous section to help you if necessary. Can you identify 6 or more types of tourist to which your chosen destination should increase its appeal. 

Here is an example…

Borrowwick-on-Sea should increase its appeal to families with very young children who stay in B&B accommodation. These families usually travel in their own cars. There are very few suitable attractions.

Using this example, can you think of 6 or 7 types of tourist for which your chosen destination should increase its appeal.