Cohen’s tourist typology was one of the first major typologies developed in tourism studies. If you are studying travel and tourism, you are likely to come across it at some point. This article explains who Erik Cohen is, what his tourist typology is, how he categorised his four types of tourists, and the strengths and limitations of the model.
- Who is Erik Cohen?
- What is Cohen’s tourist typology?
- Cohen’s types of tourists
- Institutionalised tourists
- Noninstitutionalised tourists
- Cohen’s tourist typology- 4 types of tourists
- The Drifter
- The Explorer
- The Individual Mass Tourist
- The Organised Mass Tourist
- Why is Cohen’s tourist typology beneficial?
- Types of tourists- further reading
Who is Erik Cohen?
Erik Cohen is an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His research focuses on social anthropology, sociological theory and tourism studies, and he is one of the founding figures of the sociology of tourism. He is best known for his work on tourist typologies published in the 1970s, as well as his research on authenticity and tourism in Thailand.
What is Cohen’s tourist typology?
Cohen’s tourist typology is a model that categorises tourists into different types. It is widely regarded as one of the first attempts to classify types of tourists. Cohen developed the theory based on his background in sociology and anthropology and applied it to the context of tourism. It was first published in 1972 in his article ‘Towards a Sociology of International Tourism’ in the journal Social Research.
Whilst a lot has clearly changed in the tourism industry since the 1970s, Cohen’s tourist typology has continued to be used as a guide for understanding the different types of tourists throughout the years by academics and tourism industry professionals.
Cohen’s types of tourists
The types of tourists identified by Cohen in his typology are based on a continuum- a spectrum that allows tourists to be placed at some point between the familiar and the novel. Essentially, Cohen teaches us that there are many different types of tourists, some who seek familiar experiences (such as familiar food chains, branded accommodation options that they know or languages that they can speak), others who seek entirely new experiences (new cultures, new locations, new languages etc) and those who fall somewhere in between.
Cohen’s tourist typology divides tourists into two groups: institutionalised tourists and non-institutionalised tourists.
Institutionalised tourists
Cohen describes institutionalised tourism as organised mass tourism. This is the part of the tourism industry that is designed to make the tourist experience as smooth and as organised as possible. There are a number of tourism agents involved with institutionalised tourism, such as travel agents, tour operators and tourism resorts. Institutionalised tourists experience novelty with the comforts of the familiar.
Noninstitutionalised tourists
Cohen’s noninstitutionalised tourists are the opposite of institutionalised tourists. These types of tourists do not seek the commodified products and services that the mass tourism industry provides, instead, non-institutionalised tourists seek deep, immersive and experiential travel experiences that cannot be obtained through institutionalised tourism. These types of tourists travel independently and are often in search of adventure, the new and the unfamiliar and authenticity.
Cohen’s tourist typology- 4 types of tourists
Cohen breaks down his tourist typology further, suggesting that there are four main types of tourists:
- The Drifter
- The Explorer
- The Individual Mass Tourist
- The Organised Mass Tourist
The first two types of tourists (the Drifter and the Explorer) are non-institutionalised tourists, and the latter two (the Individual Mass Tourist and the Organised Mass Tourist) are institutionalised tourists. Each type is explained below.
The Drifter
The Drifter is the type of tourist that is least connected with the mass tourism industry. Drifters typically have an authentic and deep immersive experience, opting for staying with members of the local community rather than in hotels and spending their time in the local community. They seek adventure and plan their own itineraries. This type of tourist always opts for novelty over familiarity and avoids international chains. Today, Drifters might include long-term backpackers, digital nomads who live among local communities, or travellers who take part in Couchsurfing or WWOOFing.
The Explorer
This type of tourist is similar to a Drifter in that they seek novelty over the familiar, however Explorers do often have a little more interaction with the commodities associated with the tourism industry. For example, an Explorer may travel independently and enjoy an immersive cultural experience, but they may rest their head on a hotel pillow at the end of the day. This type of tourist will generally eat and shop local, but they are happy to use familiar comforts from time to time. Many independent backpackers and flashpackers fit this category.
The Individual Mass Tourist
In Cohen’s tourist typology the Individual Mass Tourist seeks the familiar. This type of tourist wants familiar food, they want to be able to communicate in a familiar language and they want to stay in types of accommodation that they are familiar with. However, the Individual Mass Tourist is not constrained by the likes of group tours and activities- they may book flights and accommodation through a travel agent or online, but they plan their own days rather than joining group tours.
The Organised Mass Tourist
The last of the types of tourists outlined in Cohen’s tourist typology is the Organised Mass Tourist. The Organised Mass Tourist seeks the familiar in the same way that the Individual Mass Tourist does, however, they tend to do this as part of an organised group. This type of tourist seeks the familiar over novelty every time and they are often found with tour guides and undertaking group tours. The Organised Mass Tourist will generally follow a fixed itinerary, for example on an all-inclusive package holiday, a coach tour or a cruise.
Video: Types of tourists: Cohen, Plog and more
Why is Cohen’s tourist typology beneficial?
While this theory can be criticised for being too generalised, there is no question that it does have real-world value. By better understanding the different types of tourists, tourism businesses and tourism industry stakeholders can better provide for the tourists- they can tailor their products and services better, they can understand the tourist demands and desires and they can help to improve the overall quality of the tourism provision that is offered to particular tourists.
Many academic studies use Cohen’s tourist typology as a means to understanding particular issues within the tourism industry, see one example.
Criticisms of Cohen’s tourist typology
Cohen’s tourist typology has also been criticised. It was developed in the early 1970s, before low-cost airlines, the internet and social media transformed travel. Today, many tourists combine elements of more than one type, for example booking a package holiday but exploring independently once they arrive, or travelling as a Drifter on one trip and an Organised Mass Tourist on the next. The typology also says little about the motivations of tourists from non-Western cultures.
Cohen himself developed a second, phenomenological typology in 1979, which classifies tourists according to the type of experience they seek: recreational, diversionary, experiential, experimental and existential. Other well-known typologies include Plog’s model of allocentrics and psychocentrics, which links tourist personality types to the development of destinations.
Cohen’s tourist typology: FAQs
Below are answers to some of the most common questions about Cohen’s tourist typology.
What is Cohen’s tourist typology?
Cohen’s tourist typology is a classification of tourists developed by sociologist Erik Cohen in 1972. It places tourists on a continuum between familiarity and novelty and identifies four types: the Drifter, the Explorer, the Individual Mass Tourist and the Organised Mass Tourist.
What are Cohen’s four types of tourists?
Cohen’s four types of tourists are the Drifter, the Explorer, the Individual Mass Tourist and the Organised Mass Tourist.
What is the difference between institutionalised and non-institutionalised tourists?
Institutionalised tourists (Individual and Organised Mass Tourists) rely on the organised tourism industry, such as travel agents, tour operators and resorts. Non-institutionalised tourists (Drifters and Explorers) travel independently and seek novelty and authentic experiences.
What is a Drifter in Cohen’s typology?
A Drifter is the type of tourist least connected to the mass tourism industry. Drifters plan their own trips, live among local people and always choose novelty over familiarity.
What is an example of an Organised Mass Tourist?
An Organised Mass Tourist might be someone on an all-inclusive package holiday or a coach tour who follows a fixed itinerary and prefers familiar food, language and accommodation.
Why is Cohen’s tourist typology important?
Cohen’s typology helps tourism businesses and destination managers to understand different types of tourists, tailor their products and services and predict the impacts that different types of tourists may have on destinations.
Types of tourists- further reading
If you have found this article helpful, you may also be interested in these:
- Butler’s Tourism Area Life Cycle Model: A simple explanation
- Leiper’s Tourism System: A simple explanation
- 150 types of tourism! The ultimate tourism Glossary
- The mass tourism industry EXPLAINED
- Plog’s model of allocentricity and psychocentricity
- Types of tourists
- Doxey’s Irritation Index
