The Components of Travel
When talking about “Travel Style”, we can roughly describe this as how you want to travel, but in a more detailed way.
When planning a trip for a client, I always follow the pattern of “WWWWW&H”. This stands for “Why”, “Who”, “What”, “When”, “Where,” and “How”. All of these components are important when traveling, and the answers to some of these questions will influence the answers to others. For example, visiting London or Edinburgh – “the What and Where” – will partially impact the “How”. That is, a river cruise will not work in this case. The same situation would occur if you wished to travel to Asia. In this case, I would not recommend a self-drive vacation unless you were fluent in the local language.
How you travel can also depend on Who is traveling. If you are on a group trip, it will likely mean you need a planned and structured itinerary. If you are a multi-generational trip, we will need to make sure that activities are accessible to all members of the group.
Additional Components of "How"
But when we talk about “How” we travel, there is more than just considering transportation, there are other factors to be determined. This can include the following:
- When you travel, do you consider yourself more spontaneous or structured?
- When visiting museums, do you take the time to read the placards at exhibits, or are you more visually oriented?
- Do you tend to try new things, or do you like to stay with the “tried and true”?
- Do you enjoy more physical activities?
- Do you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert?
How Adventurous Are You?
There are a couple of terms that have been created to characterize a person’s travel style. They are called “Allocentric” and “Psychocentric”, and they characterize the “adventurousness” of a person. Someone who is “Allocentric is more adventurous. These would be the person who wants to go to the Antarctic on an expedition cruise. Someone who is “Psychocentric” is more of a home-body. For this person, a trip to New York City would be an adventure. We all fall somewhere in between these extremes, but will tend to lean in one direction or the other. And, our tendency along this scale can change. As we travel more, and get used to new experiences, we can tend to be more Allocentric. On the other hand, life stages, like changes in age, health, and family status can have a different effect. Other dynamics can also come into play. For a couple, one person can be more adventurous, and the other one less so.
The "Right" Travel Style is the one that Matches You!
So, of all the components of travel style noted here, which one is “right”? Well, there is no “wrong” answer. The one that is right is the one that is right for you. And it is my job as the travel agent to help you determine your travel style, and create an experience that matches your style.
Let's Talk about your Travel Style
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