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‘Who is a tourist?’

‘Who is a tourist?’ This article discusses the concept of the ‘tourist’ withintourist studies. It critiques the conceptual category of tourist in recentliterature on typologies of tourists and tourist experiences. Although greaterunderstanding of the tourist has been identified as one of the principal researchissues for tourism research, the focus is on types and forms of touristic experiencerather than uses of the concept of ‘tourist’ as a lay category,thereby taking for granted its function within a wider cultural discourse ofholidaymaking and travelling. The article raises questions concerning the construct‘tourist’ and discusses the implications of such ambiguities fortheory and empirical analysis of interview data on tourist experiences. Thisdiscussion reviews the literature on tourist experience and typologies, a discussionof the use of the concept of ‘tourist’ as a members’category, and proposes a tentative clarification of the issues as a basis from whichto direct future empirical research questions. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Tourist Studies: An International Journal SAGE

‘Who is a tourist?’

McCabe, Scott
Tourist Studies: An International Journal , Volume 5 (1): 22 – Apr 1, 2005
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Publisher
SAGE
Copyright
Copyright © by SAGE Publications
ISSN
1468-7976
eISSN
1741-3206
DOI
10.1177/1468797605062716
Publisher site
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Abstract

This article discusses the concept of the ‘tourist’ withintourist studies. It critiques the conceptual category of tourist in recentliterature on typologies of tourists and tourist experiences. Although greaterunderstanding of the tourist has been identified as one of the principal researchissues for tourism research, the focus is on types and forms of touristic experiencerather than uses of the concept of ‘tourist’ as a lay category,thereby taking for granted its function within a wider cultural discourse ofholidaymaking and travelling. The article raises questions concerning the construct‘tourist’ and discusses the implications of such ambiguities fortheory and empirical analysis of interview data on tourist experiences. Thisdiscussion reviews the literature on tourist experience and typologies, a discussionof the use of the concept of ‘tourist’ as a members’category, and proposes a tentative clarification of the issues as a basis from whichto direct future empirical research questions.

Journal

Tourist Studies: An International Journal – SAGE

Published: Apr 1, 2005

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