This week we celebrated World Tourism Day by looking at how the global industry can rethink its practices to create a more sustainable future. Rethinking tourism requires individuals and companies in the sector to consider the different types of tourism that people engage in and the impact it has on tourist destinations

Tourism is an incredibly important part of the world we live in. It’s a major contributor to economies, celebrates regional heritage, and connects people across cultures. Without tourism and travel, the world would be much more lonely and disconnected. 

Traveling helps us realize that there is so much more out there for us to experience and learn. That’s why it’s important for us to be conscious and respectful as we move throughout the world.

Traveling for fun or leisure is a privilege not a right. You should seek to be respectful, humble, and grateful when visiting a new culture. After all, you’d want others to do the same with yours. 

What are some different types of tourism that people do?

As we move into a future where we want to be better stewards of our planet, it’s important to take a closer look at the types of tourism we engage in. The following list will give you an idea of some of the options and philosophies available to you when traveling. 

Keep in mind that some of these types of tourism may occur within the same trip. For example, a domestic holiday that focuses on sampling the food of one of your country’s regions.

Sustainable tourism

Sustainable tourism is a type of tourism that takes the economic, environmental, and cultural impact into account. The idea is to be more conscious of both the positive and negative aspects of tourism. When you’ve identified the issues associated with tourism, you can work to solve them while still maintaining the benefits.

Tourism can definitely have a negative impact on a destination. Strained local resources, damaged ecosystems, and higher prices for residents are all problems that can’t be ignored. But tourism can be positive as well. It creates jobs, stimulates the local economy, and helps preserve and celebrate local cultural heritage.

The goal of sustainable tourism is that if we are going to engage in tourism we should be aware of all of its consequences. By being more conscious, we can work to minimize the negative impact while maximizing the positive.

Slow tourism

Slow tourism is a newer phenomenon that falls under the umbrella of sustainable tourism.

This type of tourism takes inspiration from the “slow food” movement. The movement gave itself that name to be in direct opposition to the fast food companies taking over the world. The goal of slow food was to highlight local culture, dishes, and ingredients in order to preserve culinary traditions.

As such, slow tourism tries to go as far away from mainstream approaches to traveling as possible. Coming out of the Cittaslow movement in Italy, the aim is to promote a slower pace of traveling that values the appreciation and preservation of local cultures. 

Instead of hopping from big city to big city to tick them off a list, slow tourism suggests you take your time and explore lesser known areas.

The philosophy of slow tourism is that a trip should have an educational, cultural, and emotional impact. However, that impact should not come at the expense of the local economies, environments, or the people who live there.

People who engage in slow tourism seek to have experiences that they can’t get from following a guidebook. They want to learn about local culture, make genuine human connections, and feel like they’ve grown by the time they return. 

Instead of staying in a hotel, slow travelers may choose to camp or even couch-surf at their destination. Instead of booking a table for a fancy restaurant, they dine in humble, cheap, and authentic eateries run by local immigrants. 

Slow travelers realize that many people are left out of the tourism economy and act accordingly. So, they seek to leave behind the smallest footprint they can while still seeing the world. 

Culinary tourism

These days, it’s impossible to scroll through Instagram for more than 30 seconds without encountering some sort of culinary related content. Whether it’s jiggly, cloud-like Japanese style cheesecakes or mouthwatering food trucks in Los Angeles, when you see one of these videos you automatically want to try it. 

But would you get on a plane and travel for that taste? Maybe not, but we certainly would. If you’d fly halfway across the world for breakfast burrito then you’re what's known as a culinary tourist.

Culinary traditions have always been a big part of what draws tourists to a city, country, or region. People go to Italy for pasta, France for cheese, Spain for tapas, and all three of them for wine. It can become even more niche, with people traveling to specific parts of Belgium just to try the local beer.

Eating is an important component of traveling so most people give some sort of consideration to the type of food they are going to encounter. However, for some people, going to a new destination to try the local food and drink is the entire point of the trip. Everything else they do while there is just to kill time between meals. 

To accommodate these types of tourists, you can find countless food or wine tours throughout France, Spain, Italy and other countries that are known for having a rich culinary heritage.

In fact, culinary tourism is so strong that it can be the main draw for a city and put it on the world map. 

An example from Spain

Spain is a country full of delicious food and culinary experimentation. From Granada to Barcelona, each region is known for a unique mixture of culture and cuisine that gives life its balance. But, if someone says they are visiting San Sebastian in the Basque region, you know they likely have one objective: eat.

San Sebastian is known as one of the culinary gems of the world. People come from around the globe to bounce from bar to bar in the narrow streets, sampling mind blowing gourmet food in a casual atmosphere. 

Sure, it’s a beautiful town on the coast, but there are plenty of beautiful coastal towns, especially in Spain. But, the main thing that keeps people coming back to San Sebastian is their culinary offerings. 

Business leisure vs business travel

The pandemic and lockdowns of Spring 2020 changed the way we do business forever. With international travel shutdown for months, corporate travelers were forced to conduct business online. To the surprise of many, there was very little negative impact from this change. They were able to maintain their relationships without needing to be there in person to seal the deal.

Now that the world is opening back up, it’s clear that some businesses are not interested in returning to the way things were. Business travel can be expensive, inefficient, and damages the environment. Considering this, and what they learned from the shutdowns, many companies are avoiding business trips unless absolutely necessary.

Another trend in this area is the rise of bleisure travel. Bleisure is a portmanteau of the words business and leisure and refers to a hybrid type of tourism corporate travelers are widely adopting. Some people engaging in this type of travel might even say they are taking a bizcation.

The concept of bleisure travel is relatively new but easy to understand. It involves extending a business trip, perhaps through the weekend or even longer. This extra time at a destination will give you a chance to see the sights, enjoy the culture, and eat in local restaurants. Or maybe your favorite band is playing that weekend; catching an awesome concert in a new city sounds like a wonderful plan.

Domestic tourism

Domestic tourism is the oldest type of tourism there is so you might wonder why it’s on this list. The reason is simple. Domestic tourism is often one of the most sustainable forms of tourism you can engage in.

If you’re in Europe, domestic tourism is quite common because it’s relatively easy, affordable, and low impact. Most European countries have extensive train networks that make traveling within the country accessible for all of its citizens. 

Taking a longer train ride may not be the most convenient option but it’s far more environmentally friendly than air travel. Domestic tourism is also sustainable because it celebrates and preserves regional cultures while keeping money within the local economy.

Experiential tourism

This one is the cousin of slow travel but goes back longer in time and doesn't have an official movement. Another common name for this type of travel is immersion.

Experiential tourism focuses on having deep and meaningful experiences as the main objective of the trip. People who pursue this type of tourism want to engage with the culture of a country, city, or region in a more substantial way than a typical tourist.

Rather than going to Thailand to hang out on the beach and eat curry, an experiential tourist may enroll in an intensive Thai cooking class for a couple weeks. Instead of visiting a winemaker for the afternoon to sample some wine, this type of traveler might prefer to be out in the vineyard participating in the grape harvest.

Experiential tourism encourages people to go outside of the normal idea of a holiday to make it unique. Millions of people have photos in front of the Eiffel Tower but you chose to learn how to bake authentic French croissants with your time in Paris. That’s the difference between a traditional tourist and an experiential one.

While tourism must adapt to become more sustainable, it’s always going to be something people love to do. The industry will continue to need dedicated professionals to serve this desire to travel. If you think working in the tourism and hospitality industry is a good fit for you, check out the job openings currently available on Hosco and find your dream job today.