Classifying Tourists
There are many different types of tourists, which can be classified in a number of ways:
By product
| Mass Tourism | Alternative Tourism |
| Package tour | Ecotourism |
By nature of the activity:
| Active | Passive |
| Adventure tourism Ecotourism Golf |
Sightseeing Beach holiday Cruise |
Location preference
| Coastal | Rural | City | Mountains | Lakes |
| Costa Brava | Garrotxa | Barcelona | Pyrenees | Banyoles |
Duration of trip and distance travelled
| Day trip | Weekend break | Annual holiday |
| Local | National | International |
By purpose
| Business or Pleasure |
Pleasure: need for change, see
something new
* Culture (ethnic)
* History, heritage
* Nature-based (eco-) tourism
* Farm-based, rural tourism
* Personal development, health
* Visit friends, family
* Social status (to brag!)
* Recreation
By age/socio-economic group
| Backpackers | Empty Nesters | DINKS | SINKS | Early/Active Retirees | Boomers | Youth |
Backpackers: 18-24 years, no children. Attracted to adventurous activity.
Consider themselves travellers not tourists. Generally well-educated. Cost
conscious.
DINKS: Double Income No Kids.
SINKS: Single Income No Kids.
Both Dinks and Sinks: younger people, between 25 and 35 years of age, no
children, affluent.
Empty Nesters: Parents whose children have flown the family nest. Between
45 and 55 of age, well educated, high disposable income.
Boomers: members of the baby boom generation in the 1950s.
Youths: Between 18 and 25 of age, not well-educated, low disposable income,
are used to travelling, (have learned it during the upbringing) and know how to
indulge 'the good life'.