What is your Unique Travel Personality?

Tourist, Traveler, Vacationer

Have you ever taken a personality test to discover what makes you tick? If you identify your Unique Travel Personality it will help you determine what aspects of travel are going to give you the most pleasure. It also is a good discussion to have with your travel partner so that you both understand each others’ priorities when it comes to travel.

Everyone has various degrees of each Travel Personality. I am 75% Traveler, 15% Tourist, and 10% Vacationer. That doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy vacationing. It means that on a vacation, I am going to seek out ways to get my Traveler fix. I am not crazy about luxury cruises, so on a cruise I am going to look forward to the excursions where I can talk to local guides, read up on the history, admire the architecture, have a leisurely coffee in a family owned cafe. The Tourist part of me will enjoy following a guide in a group to see the famous sites, but only as a means to an end—to get a deeper understanding of the local culture and history. (I am often the nerd who asks the poor tour guide a million questions).

What about you? What is your Unique Travel Personality? What percentage of each personality trait are you?

The Tourist

Wants to see all of the well known attractions
Likes having a tour guide so that they don’t have to figure it out themselves
Picks restaurants and cafes that are popular on the internet or near attractions
Lots of photos of well-known places, selfies
Likes having a structured itinerary of specific attractions to see
Limited interaction with locals
Seeks leisure and sightseeing
Travels to see the sites
Goes to a museum to see just the highlights (example: Mona Lisa at the Louvre)
Likes to shop in well known shopping areas and buy souvenirs
Often spends a short time in major locations to see the highlights
Does not return to a location “because I’ve already been there”
Often relies on travel agencies, tour packages, and pre-planned itineraries

The Tourist Travel Personality visits Notre Dame

The Traveler

Likes exploring independently
Finds unknown small family owned restaurants and cafes
Lots of pictures of beautiful scenery from places you never heard of
Travels light, carries own bag
Prioritizes cultural experiences and personal growth
Interacts with locals to better understand different cultures
Seeks local experiences and adventures
Travels to experience different cultures, learn history, understand customs
Often longer trips with no agenda
Enjoys wandering, a flaneur
Goes to a museum and spends hours reading every description
Does not like to shop
Takes time to sit in a “locals park” and watch the people
Takes time to admire architecture
Returns to a location to get a deeper understanding of the place

The Traveler Travel Personality likes finding new paths

The Vacationer

Prefers a luxury resort or cruise
Likes being catered to
Wants a relaxing atmosphere
Enjoys getting dressed up for dinner, fine dining
Wants someone to carry bag
Limited interaction with locals
Travels for pleasure
Lots of pictures in beautiful clothes, fine dining, elegant accommodations, or lying on the beach
Wants to spend very little time (if any) in a museum
Likes to shop at luxury stores for high end items
Returns to a location because of the relaxing, pleasurable atmosphere

The Vacationer Travel Personality enjoys relaxing at the beach

What is your Unique Travel Personality? Are there additional descriptions for each Travel Personality that you’d like to add? Do you have an experience to share where you traveled with someone whose Travel Personality didn’t jive with yours? Let’s hear from you in the “Comments”!

For the Travelers, here are some less crowded destinations for you to discover!

Thanks to my new friend Dave for encouraging me to write this.