The Social Psychology Of Tourist Behaviour

The Social Psychology of Tourist Behaviour is a seven-chapter book that describes tourists, tourism, and tourist psychology. The book particularly explores economic, geographical, anthropological, and sociological studies of tourism. Subsequent chapters look into the social role of tourist; an approach to tourist motivation; social contact between tourists and hosts; and environmental settings of tourist behavior. The book will be useful for advanced undergraduates, graduate students and relevant practitioners, and in some cases for a rather broader public in the field of social psychology.

Tourism is an inherently social phenomenon. Tourists travel with others and experience places and cultures through interacting with both familiar and unfamiliar others. This volume presents a thorough tour of the social psychological processes which underpin contemporary travel. The fascinating phenomenon of tourist behaviour deals with topics such as motivation, destination choice, travellers' on site experiences, satisfaction and learning. This book uses an array of developing and recently constructed conceptual frameworks to both synthesise what is established, and to create new insights and directions for further analysis and, ultimately, management action.

In 1982, when my book The Social Psychology of Tourist Behaviour was published, it was almost possible to review academic research on tourism. In 1988, in a book of similar scale, such a review is almost impossible. The aim of the present volume is, therefore, to outline a body of work which adopts a consistent theme and method in exploring the topic of tourism. The approach is one of emphasising tourists' reactions and behaviours. The work is both behavioural and cognitive, and stems principally from applied traditions in social and environmental psychology. The examples of tourist studies tend to be Australian, British, and North American, principally because work elsewhere in psychological studies of tourists is less well organised. The nationality of the researchers should not, however, confine the application of the research findings, since while the examples may be specific the results are applicable in Brisbane, Bognor or Bogota. The book is intended not just for academic tourism researchers but also for all psychologists, so that they might note an understudied phenomenon within their discipline. For leisure researchers it is hoped that it will provide an opportunity for them to see developments parallel to their own research efforts in studying recreational behaviour. Is it also a volume for tourism managers and executives? In part it is, and the sections such readers might find of particular interest are Chapters 1, 2, 3 and 9.

This volume seeks to review and stimulate interest in a number of emerging and fresh topics in contemporary tourist behaviour and experience. Topics explored include the effects of newer technologies on tourists? behaviour and experience, tourists? experience of scams, safety and personal responsibility, individual perspectives on sustainability, and some dimensions of tourists? personal growth, relationships and altruism.

This work applies the major concepts and research findings from a number of the central areas of psychology to tourism and tourist behaviour. It looks at individual psychological perspectives and their application to tourism, and the social conceptualizations of the tourist industry.

Comprehensive and accessible, this Companion offers a thorough investigation into both traditional and fresh topics in tourist behaviour and experience. Arranged chronologically, the chapters examine tourist experience from the very idea of a tourist visit to the aftermath of returning home.

As in other fields of research, the behaviour of consumers has also received a great deal of attention in tourism research over the past few decades due to its growing importance in the efficient marketing and management of tourism operations. The rapid development of IT applications and the equally swift changes of needs and wants have influenced consumers in terms of the behaviour involved in searching for information and in decision-making processes. As such, this book encompasses a collection of chapters addressing various aspects of tourist behaviour, from need-recognition to post-consumption, supported through selected practical examples from a range of countries, such as Portugal, Italy, New Zealand, Jamaica, Taiwan, Malaysia, and South Africa, among others. The book, systematic in structure and thorough in content, is very useful for people who wish to improve and update their current knowledge of tourist behaviour, and also to those carrying out further research on this field.

This pioneering work provides a comprehensive review of the touristic phenomenon. Starting with an analysis of theoretical approaches to tourism, the book focuses on elements of tourism which sociology can shed some light on.