WHO IS THE IDEAL TOURIST?

Increasing attention is being given to identifying the characteristics of the 'ideal tourist'. While no single definition has the support of all researchers, attributes of the 'ideal tourist' commonly advanced include features such as 'high spending', 'responsible', 'caring', 'involved', 'environmentally aware', 'culturally sensitive', 'seeking meaningful social encounters' and so on. It is argued that different economic measures serve different purposes, and in any case, are insufficient to specify the 'ideal tourist'. A framework for identifying important social and environmental behaviours is presented which, taken together with economic measures, advance both the concept of the ideal tourist and its measurement into the 'sustainability' arena. Some potential evaluation techniques are discussed as are the underlying challenges to operationalise a concept of 'sustainable yield'. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of the 'ideal tourist' concept for tourism planning and strategy.