Types of tourism: description, classification, characteristics of types

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Tourism is one of the most prosperous industries in the world, contributing significantly to global GDP. Every year, millions of people from all over the globe travel miles and miles from their homes to see distant lands and experience their culture. The tourism industry exists in one form or another in all parts of the world, and people travel to some of the seemingly most inaccessible places. This attracts many. The types of tourism are extensive. Their geography is spread all over the world.

Such infrastructure has also been largely developed over the years, allowing you to reach and explore hard-to-reach areas of the world. According to the International Association of Scientific Experts in Tourism (AIEST), has the following classification:

1. Participation in travel by non-residents.
2. Temporary stay in the area visited.
3. Long visits to countries from 1 month or more.

The purpose of a certain tourism activity is also of great importance. In general, based on the task, all trips can be divided into two categories:

1. Educational.
2. Leisure.

However, the line between the two seems to continue to shrink when visiting an unknown place makes one learn and have fun at the same time. As a result, these types of tourism have common directions and similar sub-sectors. There are several hundred of them today.

Tourism as a concept

No matter what your goals are, traveling to distant places always attracts attention. Tourism as a concept has come a long way today and its activities have been classified into different types.

With the development of new infrastructure and strong competition in the sector, new travel promotion ideas are emerging. The tourism sector today aims to meet the needs and preferences of all types of guests and thus seems to cater to their specific areas of interest. Therefore, today in the world there are many types of travel and countless options to choose from. Types of tourism will suit each category of citizens. It is noteworthy that every year there are different directions.

Adventure travel

Famous destinations: Nepal for mountain climbing, Croatia for climbing and mountain biking, New Zealand for skiing and snowboarding.

This type of tourism has become very famous among adventurers who are always on the lookout for something new to satisfy their adrenaline rush. Adventure walks require the camper to haveendurance and strength. As a rule, such tourists engage in complex activities and extreme sports, such as mountaineering, hiking in the desert, bungee jumping, scuba diving, paragliding, rock climbing.

Birth trips

Most visited countries: USA, UK, Canada.

Citizenship by birthright is what people are looking for who are fond of this type and type of tourism as generic. This holiday destination involves traveling from one country to another to give birth to a child, so that he automatically becomes a citizen of the host country.

Although somewhat far-fetched, this practice is common in countries with economic, social and political instability.

Business travel

Quick Fact: Generally, the business traveler is considered to be more affluent than the average leisure traveler, implying that they have much more purchasing power.

The World Tourism Organization defines travel differently from AIEST. Although AIEST does not involve people associated with any income-generating activity, the WTO believes otherwise. The dispute has been going on for several years. This type and type of tourism has its own nuances. The main one is a trip for work, and only then a vacation.

In their words:

tourism includes the activities of people traveling and staying in places outside their usual environment, not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes.

General activities related to business leisure include attendance at meetings, conferences and seminars, participation in exhibitions, fairs and other facilities. It is also considered a recreational type of tourism.

Culinary travels

Famous destinations: France, Italy, Mexico.

This is the most popular type and category of tourism this year. Hundreds of thousands of vacationers tend to try something new. Culinary tourism and gastronomic tour includes tasting and tasting local and traditional dishes of a certain country, region or city or village. It is worth noting that while food, along with accommodation and infrastructure, is one of the key components of such a holiday, there are numerous tours organized just to experience the culinary culture.

Today, with the general growth of the tourism sector, this destination has expanded and developed to a great extent. Culinary holidays also include enotourism, where people visit certain regions (such as Napa Valley, California, USA and Catalonia, Spain) specialized in winemaking to enjoy exotic drinks. This is an attractive direction. Types of food in tourism with a gastronomic tour can have different directions. There is no definite gradation here.

Cultural trips

Famous countries and places: Louvre, Paris, France; Colosseum, Rome, Italy; Taj Mahal, Agra, India.

Also known as cultural tourism, this type of holiday incorporates the culture of a particular country or region. The concept of this direction covers suchthings like the history of a given region, the way of life of the people in a particular geographic region, architecture, oral traditions, religions, festivals, cuisine, and more. Especially such a holiday is suitable for people who are passionate about certain types of art. Cultural trips occupy one of the leading places in the classification of types of truism. They do not lose relevance every year.

Cultural tourism activities in cities may include visits to museums, theaters, art galleries. In rural areas, this may mean visiting local communities and understanding their traditions, lifestyles and values. It also includes pop culture tourism as one of its main categories, which includes travel to places that appear in works of literature, TV shows, and movies.

Dark Journeys

Famous places and countries: Auschwitz concentration camp, Auschwitz, Germany; New York, USA, Genocide Museum; Tuol Sleng, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Types and forms of tourism can contain darker shades. Those who like to tickle their nerves will be delighted with such walks. This type of tourism is also referred to as dark tourism or thanatourism, and includes visits to those places and objects that have witnessed some of the major tragedies in history.

In addition to human suffering and bloodshed, most of these places are also popular for their historical value. The curious human mind is often more attracted to places that are associated with things far from normal, and therefore places that carryviolent past, have become popular tourist destinations, receiving a large influx of visitors year after year.

Disaster Travel

Known cases: after the Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption in Iceland in 2010; after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 in New Orleans, USA; after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan.

This species is often criticized as an unethical form of recreation. Such visits may have a negative impact on rescue operations in distressed sites, as well as worsen the mood of the local population. However, after several major disasters, disaster tourism is gaining momentum as more and more tour operators offer attractive packages for such affected areas. Not everyone, however, shares it. Officially, this direction is not yet included in the main types of tourism. However, many companies earn hundreds of thousands of dollars from this.

Travel to disappearing places

Famous Places: Amalia Glacier, South Patagonia, Chile; Mount Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania; Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, India.

Also known as "last chance" and "doom tourism" is a new trend in the global travel sector. First identified in 2007, it refers to tours, places, regions that are endangered by the environment. After that, attention to this direction began to grow.

The main purpose of this type, type and form of tourism is to encourage people to visitendangered places before they are lost forever. Therefore, the concept is gaining popularity every day. However, according to some critics, the growth of such a direction may, in fact, accelerate the process of deterioration of the already disappearing objects.

Ecotourism

Famous Destinations: Palau, Micronesia; Norwegian Fjords (various locations), Norway; Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya.

Many types of tourists in tourism seek unity with nature. To do this, they choose the most remote corners of the planet and not only. Ecotourism is a very broad category of travel that involves socially responsible walking in virtually unspoiled areas of natural beauty. It may include trips to places where the main attractions are flora and fauna, natural or built landforms, and settlements of indigenous communities.

Ecotourism also includes the concepts of geotourism and wilderness travel. In addition, agritourism has been added to the list of sub-types of this direction, which includes visiting a farm or ranch, as well as engaging in agricultural activities.

Genealogical Journey

Most visited countries: Romania, Ireland, Germany.

This is a very interesting form of travel in which vacationers go to the land of their ancestors in search of their roots. Although genealogy tourism has captured a significant market around the world, it seems to be more visible in various diasporas. Every year, several thousand peopleespecially those belonging to the expatriate population, travel to their countries of origin and seek to reconnect with their past. These types of tours in tourism offer visits to museums and archives. If desired, historians can be hired to compile the traveler's family tree.

Medical rest

Famous Destinations: United Arab Emirates, Turks and Caicos Islands, Turkey.

The types of recreational tourism include medical tourism. Millions of vacationers seek not only to relax, but also to benefit from it. The term "medical tourism" means the movement of patients from one place to another in order to receive appropriate qualified care and treatment. This may include treatments for certain genetic conditions and special surgeries such as joint replacements, cosmetic and plastic procedures. Some people also travel in search of psychiatric and alternative treatments.

Sea trips

Famous Locations: Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, USA; Costa Brava, Spain; Sicily, Italy.

There are also water types of recreation in tourism. Open water lovers are delighted with such walks. Nautical tourism is a relatively new travel niche that focuses on the combination of leisure and motorboating or sailing. The concept was first developed in Europe and South America, but has now gained momentum even in the Pacific and the United States.

Tourists not only prefer to swim to the placedestination than flying, but also engage in various activities such as fishing and diving while on the ship. In addition, many of them also prefer to stay on their sailing ships instead of taking other land apartments. As a result, maritime tourism is also proving profitable as demand for various maritime goods and services has increased.

Religious travel

Famous Places: Varanasi, India; Jerusalem, Israel; Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Often referred to as religious tourism, this is a type of recreation where people go on long journeys, individually or in groups, for the purpose of pilgrimage or missionary work.

Numerous holy places around the world have become thriving tourist destinations, receiving huge influxes of visitors every year. Places such as temples, churches, mosques, or reliefs with religious significance are among the most visited sites by people who claim to seek union with God through such journeys.

Slum travel

Famous Destinations: Hutong, Beijing, China; Dharavi, Mumbai, India; Five Points, New York, USA.

In the 19th century, the concept of slum tourism developed as a niche in which people were invited to visit poor areas of a city or village so that people living in those areas could be able to support their families.

Slum tourism was originally focused on the Manhattan and London areas, but the concept has since become popular elsewherethe world. Slum travel is now being touted as an opportunity for vacationers to see and experience the local culture at a poor level. The niche is growing very fast in some lagging and developing countries.

Space travel

Space tourists: Dennis Tito, USA (8 days); Anush Ansari, Iran (12 days); Guy Laliberte, Canada (11 days).

Space tourism is another new concept in the leisure industry. It involves traveling into space for leisure or business purposes. A number of start-up companies offer off-world tours to a limited number of tourists each year, but the concept is still in development.

From the very beginning, extraterrestrial vacations have been subject to much criticism due to their high cost, as well as various legal restrictions. However, there have been a few such missions that have been successful.

Sports recreation

Famous destinations: Brazil, India, England.

Sports tourism, as the name suggests, includes the sport, excitement and pleasure that it offers as its foundation. It can be either active or passive. This allows you to either take part in sporting events, or simply watch their progress. There are many subspecies of such directions. Types of sports tourism include hundreds of industries. Many vacationers form their own.

Today, numerous sports such as cricket, football, tennis have gained popularity all over the world. Today, a large number of tours are organized during major tournaments thatallow people to watch these games not live, but in stadiums. This tourism niche generates good income every year.

Virtual Vacation

Quick fact: A virtual tourist can see places not only as they are today, but also as they have been at different points in history, something that a "real" tourist cannot do.

Virtual vacations are also a fairly recent tourism niche that seems to completely defy the very purpose of travel. The vacationer visits places with the help of technologies such as the internet, thus limiting or, in some cases, even nullifying the aspects of time, distance, and cost.

Although the niche is steadily evolving, virtual tourism can never replace the "real" one. On the contrary, it may encourage people to physically travel to places they have seen online.

Travel to the places of military operations

Famous Places: Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima, Japan; Kurukshetra, Haryana, India; National Atomic Testing Museum, Las Vegas, USA.

Military travel or military heritage tourism refers to a type of recreation where people visit former strategic sites, former war zones, or sites such as museums that display artifacts relating to different points in history. Places of interest to visit for many groups of tourists. Such types and categories of tourism are present in almost every country. Often certain objects are found in guidebooks.

Wellnesstravel

Famous destinations: China, Jordan, Cayman Islands.

He alth tourism is a fast growing trend in the travel sector, which refers to recreation with the aim of maintaining and strengthening one's body, mind and soul. This type of tourism includes wellness destinations such as massages, body treatments, weight loss programs, beauty treatments and more.

Due to the popularity of this trend, several resorts have sprung up in different places, which offer numerous amenities for tourists according to their preferences and wishes. Types and types of recreational tourism are also numerous. They mainly depend on the hotel, medical institution, which make up the holiday program.

No matter where you are traveling, for what purpose and for how long, it is imperative that you use a sustainable approach. Ensure that your visit does not affect the environment and local culture in any way, and that the integrity of the site is maintained to the greatest extent possible. Depending on the classification of types of tourism, today you can choose any direction for an interesting vacation, even in Antarctica.