Psychological aspects of tourism

Pages: 117-121
O. P. Sharma and M. P. Singh (Department of Psychology, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur)

Tourism is travel for recreation, leisure, religious, family or business purposes, usually for a limited duration. Tourist behavior may be socio-psychologically interpreted through a definition of the social role of the tourist, of tourist motivation, and, of social contact between tourists and hosts. Such a social psychology of tourist behavior emphasizes the deep-rooted tradition which interprets human behavior as a phenomenon largely determined by the interpersonal context in which each individual finds himself. A tourist is he who is circumstanced to sleep outside his own house. Motivation theory, Maslow’s need hierarchy theory and push and pull theory play major role is tourism need. Understanding of why people travel, what they seek from their travel and what are their expectation from their place of visit gives the Tourism industry a new prospect to develop their tourist spots keeping the psychological factors of tourism in mind.