It would seem that most of you reading travel at least several times a year, even if it’s hard to classify what type of traveler you are. I think many of us fall into more than one of these categories.
How would you have grouped the different types of travelers – or do you think traveler ‘types’ are really an exaggeration?
I think that, more and more, whether as a result of having more experience as a traveller, or possibly due to a steady change in the culture of travel, the old ideas of there being clearly defined types of travellers is becoming less and less accurate.
The thing is that most travellers, by and large, are a mixture of alot of aspects of different traveler types. Some may enjoy carrying the gadgets and gizmos associated with being a “flashpacker”, but would rather spend their time sitting on a lone hilltop in the wilderness somewhere than staking out a Starbucks in ‘J.A.C.’ (Just Another City). Some might enjoy mixing it up with locals and tasting the genuine way of life which is unique to each country, but at the end of the day would rather retire to a relaxation resort than a fleabag hostel. Some might have a sole goal of tasting every kind of beer available between Point A and Point B and just don’t care about anything else.
Maybe, like some of those personality tests, travel personas are really a mixture of a few measures on a number of different scales, which might place you near a “stereotype”, but does not really define you as being a definite part of one.
As I keep saying when discussing this topic with people during my journeys – the trip is in the traveler – we all travel in our own way, within our own means, and to our own tastes and judging someone else’s adventure against our own scale is a mistake.
Luke, I agree with your assessment. I think the lines are blurry and practically don’t exist in most cases. Aside from that they can change over a period of time. A RTW’er on a year long trip is only that ‘type’ of traveler for a year…and so on.
I especially liked “the trip is in the traveler.” So true.
I think its kind of an exaggeration. However, the social media – like blogs – increasing the urge for travelling. Like my saying: Blogging Connecting People 🙂
I realized in this poll that I was really asking more of ‘how long’ rather than what ‘type.’ Maybe the types don’t really exist for travelers but perhaps people who *don’t* travel often subscribe to these notions?
I am not a fan of all the labelling and assoicated stereotyping. I don’t really care if I am a vacationer, tourist, traveller, backpacker or whatever (there seem to be so many words). I enjoy getting out and seeing interesting places adapting to suit my time limitations, budget and the places I’m going. I suspect that most people who are keen to see the world just get on with it and do it.
In the end the labels don’t really matter. I do think that travelers can probably fit themselves into one category or another albeit those definitions are changing all the time. One thing I really can’t stand is people who think they are better travelers than others. I don’t think any one group is better than the other.