Understanding Cohen's Tourist Classification System

Stanley P. Cohen's influential 1972 study classified tourists based on their travel experiences and interaction with the environment. His model focuses on the 'tourist role continuum', mapping different types of tourists along a spectrum from highly structured to unstructured experiences.

Cohen's Tourist Types

Cohen identified several tourist types. The main ones relevant to this discussion are:

• Organized Mass Tourist: This tourist type represents the least adventurous end of the spectrum. They typically travel in large groups, stay in familiar environments (often described as 'air-conditioned bubbles'), and follow tightly scheduled, pre-arranged itineraries. Their contact with the host culture is minimal and mediated.
• Explorer: Explorers are more adventurous than mass tourists. They seek authentic experiences and want to get closer to the host culture. However, they still rely significantly on the 'tourist gaze' and familiar Western comforts and infrastructure. They often arrange their own trips but still value a degree of safety and predictability.
• Drifter: Drifters represent a more adventurous type, seeking genuine and deep experiences in the host culture. They actively avoid typical tourist infrastructure and seek to blend in with local life. Their travels are often unstructured, and they are willing to take risks to achieve a sense of authenticity.

Identifying the Outlier: Allocentric Tourist

The question asks which option is NOT part of Cohen's (1972) classification. Let's examine the options in light of Cohen's model:

• Organized Mass Tourist: This is a core category in Cohen's model.
• Drifter: This is another key category in Cohen's model.
• Explorer: This is also a significant category within Cohen's framework.
• Allocentric Tourist: The term 'Allocentric' is primarily associated with the tourist typology developed by Robert Plog (1974). Plog's model focuses on the personality traits of tourists, contrasting 'allocentrics' (adventurous, outgoing, seek novelty) with 'psychocentrics' (less adventurous, prefer familiarity). While allocentric travellers might exhibit behaviours similar to Cohen's Explorers or even Drifters, 'Allocentric Tourist' itself is not a classification term used by Cohen (1972).

Therefore, the 'Allocentric Tourist' is the classification that does not belong to Cohen's (1972) typology.

Summary of Classifications