Tourist Typologies and Destinations: A Comparative Analysis of Brighton and Rio de Janeiro

Programme:	Business & Tourism Management
Level:	Foundation	Module Title:	Understanding the Tourist
Module code:	BTM0UTT	Module leader/s:	Galantinho Correia / Muhammad Majeed
Assignment No:	1	Assignment Type:	Essay
Assignment weighting %:	100%	Assignment Word Count: (or equivalent)	1500 Words
Penalties	All penalties that are listed at the end of this document in the Table of Penalties.

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Introduction

The economic, cultural, and social phenomenon referring to individual movement to places or countries outer their usual stay for either professional or personal purposes is termed as tourism. Tourists are those staying and travelling to places for some purposes away from their usual environment (UNWTO, 2024). As per Bayarsaikhan, Kim and Gim (2020) Plog's Model (1974) is a framework that categorises tourists into different types based on their personality traits and preferences, ranging from psychocentric to allocentric, mid-centric, and near psychocentric. As advocated by Alves et al. (2023), Cohen's Classification of Tourists (1972) categorises tourists into drifters, explorers, organised mass tourists, and individual mass tourists. The theory aims to explain the phenomenon of modern tourism based on sociological analysis. The essay will discuss how tourist-type theories link to attractions and destinations upon identifying the tourist type considering Brazil and Brighton as the destinations visited.

Aims

The essay aims to interpret how travel choices and experiences are influenced by tourist typologies and destinations.

Main Body

Two varying destinations that I have visited are Brighton, a city destination in the UK and Rio de Janeiro, a mountain tourist spot in Brazil. Rio de Janeiro, also nicknamed a ‘marvellous city’, boasts a treasure trove of attractions which captivates tourists from around the world. The destination offers a set of various attractions including its iconic ‘Christ the Redeemer’ statue situated at the top of Corcovado Mountain (RioDeGeneiro, 2024). Apart from this, Sugarloaf Mountain is another iconic mountain peak in Rio de Janeiro attracting tourists. Additionally, the lush Tijuca National Park, and historic neighbourhoods like Santa Teresa, Copacabana, Ipanema and more have been great tourist attractions over the years. In 2021, the destination attracted over 100 thousand international tourists which was considerably low considering the negative impact of the global pandemic (Statista, 2023).

Cohen’s tourist typology model classifies tourists into four different groups based on their habits and preferences. According to Kusumawardhana et al. (2023) organised mass tourists are characterised by their comfort with tourism packages and services whereas individual mass tourists are more inclined to common tourist activities but with customised offerings based on their preferences. Explorers are the tourists ready to explore new areas within the existing tourism industry system and drift tourists follow their own desires and system without guidance from existing systems. On the basis of Cohen’s model, Rio de Janeiro offers a range of tourism packages and activities to cater to the different preferences of various types of tourists. For instance, explorers or drift tourists can enjoy the diverse range of museums, mountains, parks, art galleries and more (RioDeJaneiro, 2024). Additionally, for organised and individual mass tourists, enjoying the famous Rio Carnivals or taking a tour of Tijuca National Park and more are highly recommended tourist activities. Apart from this, activities like SBC Summit Rio, Yamandu Costa and more are available for tourists to enjoy. Tourists can access various accommodations including hotels, resorts and more according to their preferences (Tripadvisor, 2024). During my visit, I stayed at hotels in Copacabana and visited various restaurants to indulge in the Brazilian flavours.

As for the city destination, I went to Brighton which is one of the popular locations in the UK. The city is packed with interesting and fun places for tourists to visit. Among its numerous offerings, The Royal Pavilion is a major tourist attraction which is influenced by easter palaces of the 18^th century (Visit Brighton, 2024). The Brighton Museum & Art Gallery next to the Royal Pavilion exhibits the historic origins of the place. Page and Connel (2020) stated that travellers are often stimulated by royal patronage offered in places like Brighton. Apart from this, there are several seafront attractions which include Brighton i360, Sea Life Brighton, Brighton Palace Pier, Brighton Zip and more. The city is of high value for tourism in the country as it welcomes around 9.5 million day visitors every year which accounts for approximately 85% of all visitors to the city (Brighton-Hove.Gov.UK, 2024).

Plog’s theory of tourism closely associates travel motivation with the type of destination that an individual is attracted to. According to Fletcher et al. (2018) psychocentric tourists desire a more comfortable, safe and well-developed destination whereas allocentric tourists are more inclined to destinations which are unspoilt and undiscovered. However, it has been observed that the majority of tourists fall in between these two types of tourists, hence, a midcentrics tourist is likely to explore new destinations which are safe and well-developed. According to this notion, Brighton is a well-developed city destination which offers both safe and comfortable tourist attractions as well as places for exploration. For instance, while psychocentric travellers can enjoy activities like animal zoos, beach tours, bus tours, botanic gardens and more for allocentric tourists, activities like adventure parks, events, concerts, escape rooms, mountain biking and more are available (Visit Brighton, 2024). Moreover, tourists have a large selection of accommodations from luxury to budget-friendly, bed & breakfast accommodations to hotels, caravans, pubs & inns, boutique hotels and more (Visit Brighton, 2024). Additionally, approximately 84 restaurants in the place offering different cuisines and flavours also capture tourists (Visit Brighton, 2024).

According to Cohen’s Theory of Tourists (1972), individual mass tourist is my tourist typology as I prefer visiting tourist attractions such as Sugarloaf Mountain and Christ the Redeemer in Brazil. Other than these iconic locations, I have also visited some Brazilian restaurants and Brighton City in the UK. Such travel experiences refer to a desire to experience a mix of local culture and familiar experiences. On the other hand, based on the tourist typology of an individual mass tourist, I usually prefer depending on some popular attractions and pre-designed itineraries while I also like to plan my trip independently. Hence, my tourist typology illustrates a combination of both spontaneity and structure.

Several factors may contribute to your affinity for the individual mass tourist typology. My constant desire for novelty and familiarity perfectly aligns with the tourist typology as identified from Cohen’s model. On the other hand, I am also attracted by a desire for social acceptance and validation which encourages me to opt for the iconic tourist attractions. This can be well-aligned with the tourist's need for satisfaction which they usually gain from the leisure of a holiday when they prefer travelling (Holloway and Humphreys, 2022). Moreover, the process of translating a need into a travel motivation is quite complicated as travellers are more likely to travel only if the attractions and motivation match. Hence, it can be proposed that my travel motivation proposes a unique blend of unfamiliar and familiar experiences which is a major characteristic for an individual mass tourist. Personal control over travel experiences and tourism planning triggered by a need for autonomy reflects a desire or need for both exploration and is influenced by a range of personal preferences and motivations aligning with the characteristics of individual mass tourists.

Aligning with my tourist type, before travel, I generally research and plan by looking at popular travel guides and online forums, and create an itinerary and room for flexibility. For example, I prefer booking flights and accommodations independently. During travel, I am generally open to recommendations from the locals and ready to adjust. For example, in Rio de Janeiro, I discovered a hidden gem market while walking to a planned attraction and spent a few hours exploring it. Further, I also enjoy exploring the destination on my own or interacting with the locals, attending local festivals, and trying local cuisines. After travel, based on prior experiences, I plan for future travels and also love to share my experiences while connecting with other travellers.

The decision-making process in tourism is a complex interplay of various factors, including individual preferences, cultural influences, socio-economic conditions, and environmental considerations. According to Fletcher et al. (2018) attitudes, perceptions, travel motivators, and images are some of the factors affecting the individual decision-making process. The concept of a meaningful tourism paradigm is related to positive sustainability, positive psychology, positive tourism, and experience economy (Morrison and Buhalis, 2024). On the other hand, the tourism decision-making processes are influenced by effectors, energisers, and determinants of demand followed by the roles and the decision-making processes. Based on the tourist typology, I generally decide to experience the authenticity of the neighbourhood while preparing a mix of planned itineraries and free time for exploration. This can also be attributed to my travel motivation based on needs as explained by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as that for a holiday.

Conclusions

In conclusion, both Rio de Janeiro and Brighton have established themselves as successful and popular tourist destinations. As per Cohen’s theory, Rio de Janeiro caters to different sets of tourists based on their preferences for traditional tourism activities and the need to explore. On the other hand, Brighton’s range of activities like beach tours, mountain biking and more appeals to both psychocentric, allocentric and midcentrics tourists according to Plog’s theory. As an individual mass tourist myself, organised tourism activities like visiting the Christ the Redeemer statue and Sugarloaf Mountain in Brazil and the various common tourist spots in Brighton have attracted me the most. Hence, it can be proposed that both tourist places have designed their activities and such to meet the various characteristics of tourists mentioned in the two theories.

References

Alves, P., Martins, H., Saraiva, P., Carneiro, J., Novais, P. and Marreiros, G. (2023) ‘Group recommender systems for tourism: how does personality predict preferences for attractions, travel motivations, preferences and concerns?’, User Modeling and User-Adapted Interaction, 33(5), pp.1141-1210.

Bayarsaikhan, T., Kim, S.T. and Gim, T.H.T. (2020) ‘International tourists’ destination choice differences according to Plog’s personality types: analyzing the case of Mongolia based on the recreation opportunity spectrum’, International Journal of Urban Sciences, 24(4), pp.485-515.

Brighton-Hove.Gov.UK (2024) Brighton & Hove Visitor Economy Strategy. Available at: https://democracy.brighton-hove.gov.uk/documents/s167133/Tourism%20Recovery%20Plan%20APX.%20n%203.pdf (Accessed: 7 October 2024).

Fletcher, J., Fyall, A., Gilbert, D. and Wanhill, S. (2018) Tourism: Principles and Practice. 6th edn. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.

Holloway, J. C. and Humphreys, C. (2022) The Business of Tourism. 12th edn. London: Sage Publications Ltd.

Kusumawardhana, I., Bhaskara, G.I., Masnadi, I. and Patria, T.A. (2023) ‘The Rise of Individual Mass Tourist and Explorer: Study of Tourist Typology and Motivation for Travel’, In E3S Web of Conferences (Vol. 426, p. 01093). EDP Sciences.

Morrison, A.M. and Buhalis, D. eds. (2024) Routledge handbook of trends and issues in tourism sustainability, planning and development, management, and technology. New York, NY: Routledge.

Page, S. J. and Connel, J. (2020) Tourism: A Modern Synthesis. 5th edn. London: Routledge.

RioDeJaneiro (2024) Activities. Available at: https://www.riodejaneiro.com/ (Accessed: 7 October 2024).

Statista (2023) International inbound tourism volume in Rio de Janeiro 2016-2021. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/806001/number-international-tourists-rio-janeiro/#:~:text=In%202021%2C%20the%20Brazilian%20state,to%20the%20previous%20two%20years. (Accessed: 7 October 2024).

Tripadvisor (2024) Travellers' Choice in Rio de Janeiro. Available at: https://www.tripadvisor.in/Hotels-g303506-Rio_de_Janeiro_State_of_Rio_de_Janeiro-Hotels.html (Accessed: 7 October 2024).

UNWTO (2024) Glossary of tourism terms. Available at: https://www.unwto.org/glossary-tourism-terms (Accessed: 7 October 2024).

Visit Brighton (2024) Attractions. Available at: https://www.visitbrighton.com/things-to-do/attractions (Accessed: 7 October 2024).

Visit Brighton (2024) Hotels in Brighton. Available at: https://www.visitbrighton.com/accommodation/hotels (Accessed: 7 October 2024).

Visit Brighton (2024) Restaurants. Available at: https://www.visitbrighton.com/food-and-drink/restaurants (Accessed: 7 October 2024).