SOCIOLGY OF

TOURISM
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• distinguish the social nature of travel and
the social effects of tourism.

• examine the socioeconomic variable and

their effect on travel and new travel patterns;

and • discuss the preference of international

tourist and the types of tourist roles in social
tourism.
The 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 their trip is more enjoyable and freer from
anxiety if they join a group tour. Camaraderie often
develops friendship 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 life on earth.
According to Pope John Paul II, ‘’The world is becoming a
global village in which people from different continents are
made to feel like next-door individuals, tourism can help
overcome many real prejudices and foster new bonds of
fraternity.’’
 WHAT ARE THE
SOCIAL EFFECTS OF
TOURIS?
 Social Effects of Tourism
social relations between people who would not
normally meet;

the confrontations of different cultures, ethnic groups,

lifestyles, language, levels of prosperity, and the like;

the behavior of people released from many of the

social and economic constraints of everyday life; and

. the behavior of the host population which has to

reconcile economic and benefits with the costs of
living with strangers.
SOCIOECONOMIC
VARIABLES AND
THEIR EFFECT ON
TRAVEL
 INCOME AND SOCIAL
AGE
STATUS

LIFE STAGES OF THE

EDUCATION
FAMILY
 A. AGE
There are several differences between
pattern 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 visiting friend and
relatives, fishing, sightseeing and more.
 B. INCOME AND SOCIAL STATUS
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.
 C. EDUCATION
There is 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 taste.
 D. LIFE STAGES OF THE FAMILY
The presence of children in the family
limits the travel. More leisure time is
spent at home. As children grow up and
leave home, the married couples renew
interest in travel. Couple in this life stage
usually have more discretionary income
and are more financially capable to
travel.
 THE RISE OF NEW
TRAVEL PATTERNS
 THE RISE OF NEW
TRAVEL PATERNS

Airline Group
Special
Travel Clubs and
Interest Tours
Arrangements
A. TRAVEL CLUBS
The most significant development in group travel
consists of travel clubs. A very good example of these
is the Club Mediterranean which started in Western
Europe and then spread to North America and other
areas of the world. In this group travel plan, a club
member enjoys travel opportunities and vacation
destination facilities at a much cheaper price than
that paid by a nonmember.
B. AIRLINE GROUP AND ARRAGEMENTS
1. Group 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
month or longer;
3. public charter in which an entire airplane is
made available to a group of persons who travel
to the same destination; and
4. incentive tours which are given by firms to
employees as a reward for a special achievement
or as a motivation for achievement
C. SPECIAL INTEREST TOURS
These are tours arranged for those who
are interested in a particular activity
such as bird watching, festivals, fishing,
hunting, scuba diving, photography,
flower arrangement, golf, skiing,
mountain climbing and more.
PREFERENCES OF THE INTERNATIONAL
TOURIST
The preference of the international tourist are divided into four
categories, namely:

1. complete relaxation to constant activity;

2. traveling near one’s home environment to a

totally strange environment

3. complete dependence on group travel to

traveling alone; and

4. order to disorder
A. RELAXATION vs. ACTIVITY

Before, the workweek for most people including the middle

class was long and exhausting. Thus, they demanded holidays
that offered relaxation and rest. At present, the workweek has
been shortened and the annual holiday leave has been
lengthened. Work has become less tiresome and people have
become used to greeted leisure. Relaxation has become
possible throughout the year. Accordingly, people have started
to use their nonholiday time leisure to exercise new activity
skills, such as sailing, climbing, horse riding and more.
B. FAMILIARITY vs. NOVELTY
In general, most tourist on their first trip abroad tent to seek familiarity
rather than novelty. They search for something that will remind them of
home, whether it be food, newspaper, living quarter, 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 a new
environment – to see customs and cultures different from their own, and to
mix with the people who speak differently, eat differently, and dress
differently.

At present there is an increasing positive attitude for novelly and for

change. People accept innovations in industry, education, family life, the
arts, and social relationships, among others. Tourist move away from
traditional resorts to new tourist destinations.
C. DEPENDENCE vs. AUTONOMY

In the past, tourist joined package tours in which

transportation, lodging food, sightseeing, and entertainment
were fixed in advance by the tour agency. At present, there is
the emergence of a group of tourist 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.
D. ORDER vs. DISORDER
In the past, tourists sought holidays which enforce the traditional
concept of conformity – set meals at fixed times, guidebooks which told
them the right place to visit, and resorts where their fellow tourist were
tidy, well-behaved, and properly dressed. They avoided situations where
their adult-imposed sense of orderliness might be offended.
Now, the new generation of tourist is not very much concerned about
what to wear and how to behave when on holiday. Informality in
behavior, a greater tolerance toward the differences of others, and
freedom form institutionalized regulations are now the characteristics
of the modern traveler.
Because of social and economic changes in modern society, the
demand for travel will be based less on familiarity,
TYPES OF TOURIST
ROLES
 The continues combination of novelty and
familiarity forms the basic variable for the
sociological analysis of the phenomenon of
modern tourism. This combination leads to
the four types of tourist roles. Each type
represents a characteristic form of tourist
behavior.
A. THE ORGANIZED MASS
TOURIST
This type of tourist is the least
adventurous. He buys a package
tour in which the itinerary if his
trip is fixed in advanced and his
stops are well-prepared and
guided. He seldom makes decision
for himself. He prefers a familiar
environment rather than a new
environment.
B. THE INDIVIDUAL MASS
TOURIST
The individual mass tourist is similar 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, all the major
arrangement of his tour are still made
through a travel agency. Like the organized
mass tourist, he also travels withing his own
country and goes out of it occasionally.
 C. THE EXPLORER
This type of tourist arranges his trip by himself
and look for comfortable accommodations 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 that the previous two types,
but goes back to it when the experience
becomes too rough. Although novelty
dominates, the explorer does not adopt
completely the lifestyle of the host country.
 D. THE DRIFTER
The drifter goes the farthest away from the
accustomed ways of life of 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 a fixed itinerary.
 Social Tourism
Social tourism is tourism that provides
economic opportunities via travel and tourism
for persons who are economically weak or
otherwise disadvantaged. In this
interpretation, social tourism initiatives are
mainly focused on providing economic
benefits for the host community.

Example: subsidized travel programs for low-

income families, which may include reduced
transportation costs, affordable
accommodation options, and curated travel
activities.
In a general sense, social tourism is a subsidized system of travel through the
intervention of the government, employer, or labor union to achieve social goals and
purpose. In the late 1930s, when many European countries passed laws on paid
holidays, it was recognized that the right to legal holiday could not only be meaningful if
the ordinary worker will be able to afford travel for recreation and rest. Thus, a number
of voluntary associations in the field of social tourism worked to obtain reduced fares
and to create a network of holiday centers for tourist of limited means.

In the United States, more than 100 different major programs of the federal
government provide for recreation, tourism, travel, and environmental conservation.
Activities range from assigning approximately one billion areas of public lands for
recreation to the operation of historic site, national parks, and forests.
 END OF
MODULE 2