ACTA UNIVERSITATIS DANUBIUS Nr.

1/2008

Types and Forms of Tourism

Senior Lecturer Cornelia Elena Tureac, PhD

Danubius University of Galati
Associate Professor Turtureanu Anca, PhD
Danubius University of Galati

Abstract: For the study of tourism, the most suitable method from the geographic point of view is
typify it, because it allows the delimitation of tourist areas. Tourist areas are characterized by a specific
type of travel or by a reunion of some types that may vary dynamically over time. The types of tourism
result mainly from the different motivations of the journey, i.e. the purpose of doing. Each type of
tourism is distinguished by such specific purpose and it is specific to those regions where fixed purpose
can be achieved by the existence of some specific facilities.
Keywords: relaxing tourism, health care tourism, leisure tourism
Jel Classification: L84, L83, L80, L8

1. Introduction

Typifying tourism first appeared in Poser in 1939, the paper: Der Fremdenverkehr
im Riesengebirge. Here, Poser distinguishes several types of tourism: tourism by
transit, summer relaxation, winter sports, short distance relaxation.
Hunziker and Krampf, 1941, distinguished several types and forms of tourism: travel
for rest and treatment, pilgrimage, and scientific knowledge, etc.
Finally, in 1965, Jlg, Ruppert and Maier in 1970, admitted the existence of six
types of tourism: tourism recreation, therapy, visitation, reduced distance relaxation,
transit by tourism and professional tourism.

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2. Types of Tourism

The types of tourism are dynamic in time, they vary a lot. The types of tourism
presented in a given period are generated by the needs of its objectives, the level of
cultural and social facilities and the existing means of transport.
Spatial feature of tourism is the kind of tourism resulting from mixing more types of
the same territorial unit. Mixing types of tourism is, however, regional or local
importance as a factor for progress in proportion to their number, but at the same
time affected by the season.
In accordance with the purposes, each type of tourism is going towards those areas
where the purpose may be achieved either through the potential facilities, either due
to the climate or specific traditions of the place.
In general, one may distinguish six types of tourism:
- Relaxing tourism;
- Relaxing and health care tourism;
- Visiting tourism;
- Transit tourism;
- Reduced distance tourism;
- Professional tourism.
If the first five types of tourism practiced during holidays, professional tourism is
closely linked to the productive activity. Some authors, such as Hunziker and
Krampf, exclude professional tourism of the types of tourism, because it binds to a
gainful activity, being far from the meaning of a classic leisure activities or health
care. Including professional and tourism within the general framework of tourism it
results in a Tourism generally speaking that cannot be excluded from any
performed analysis.
In terms of choosing the tourist destination, we distinguish:
- volunteer tourism - the destination is chosen by free will of the
beneficiary of tourist services (tourism, relaxation, visiting tourism, and
reduced distance tourism - for leisure);

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- forced tourism - the destination is chosen from various requirements by

others (tourism, relaxation and health care - on the medical
recommendation, transit tourism out of the need of transportation
objectives, professional tourism - at the request of the unit where the
beneficent of tourism services is working)
Unlike the types of tourism, the forms of tourism represent the way to conduct the
tourism depending on the causes and the external influences.
The forms of tourism have as their differentiation the properties of tourism.
We distinguish several forms of tourism based on the following criteria:
1) The criteria of the initial area and the destination:
a) Domestic tourism;
b) International Tourism
2) The criterion number of participants:
a) Individual tourism;
b) Group tourism.
3) Organizational criterion:
a) Organized tourism;
b) Unorganized tourism;
c) Semi-organized tourism.
4) Criterion Season:
a) Continuous tourism;
b) Discontinuous tourism.
5) Temporal Criterion:
a) Tourism for a very long period of time;
b) Tourism of long duration;
c) Tourism of reduced duration
6) The criteria of transportation vehicles:
a) Tourism by train;
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b) Tourism by auto;
c) Marine tourism;
d) Air tourism;
e) Other forms of tourism (cycling, walking, etc.).
7) Social criterion:
a) Private tourism;
b) Social tourism
8) Criterion of the age and occupation of the tourist:
a) Youth Tourism;
b) Specific to adults tourism;
c) Specific for older generation tourism
9) The criterion for the type of destination:
a) Mountain tourism;
b) Season tourism;
c) Other
Depending on the reasons for travelling, which are very different because of the
influence of psycho-sociological factors, of health or life, there may be distinguished
more types of tourism.
Their determination is made based on the average length of stay and distribution of
tourist flows during the year.

3. Types of Tourism Related to Leisure

Leisure tourism (holiday)

Currently, tourism leisure (holiday) predominates in terms of participation, the most
important type of tourism. This part especially the urban population - especially
those in major economic centres - because of stress accumulated in the deployment
of dynamic economic processes today. In rural areas, this type of tourism is still in a

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reduced practice on the one hand and reduced mobility of people in these areas, but
relatively low income status.
Tourism holiday may consists of either a period of almost total rest (held in an area
very quiet, with few attractions in the surrounding area), either as an active resting
period in which everyday activities are replaced by others, usually complementary
(people providing intellectual work usually chosen sports, walks, excursions, etc..
while men work mainly with individuals in chosen activities with more movement
towards intellectual).
Tourism, recreation and is also a tourism course, without appeal, as with tourism and
recreation to health care, to medical treatment. Tourism demand in this case
resulting from the two categories of needs: needs for recreation and the change of
scene.
Tourism has a strong holiday season. It is focused, especially during periods of leave
and holidays of adults conducted in the student's special summer or winter (around
the winter holidays). For this reason, it appears correlated with a long term stay (1-2
weeks).
Tourism holiday lasting very long (3-4 weeks) are not at present attractiveness that
had half a century. Dynamics of the contemporary world marks this factor also; the
tourist prefers to switch places rather to visit only a certain place.
In the analysis of holiday tourism is essential to take into account several factors. On
the one hand, it involves a crowded of traditional tourist areas (summer - tourism
season, winter - mountain tourism), and routes to transport them. Shortcomings of
the promotion of travel agencies or higher rates charged by these contributions to
increase tourism sometimes unorganized which increases congestion phenomenon
above. It should be kept in mind that favourable places of relaxing tourism activity
are those characterized by a peaceful climate, with adequate facilities to spend the
holiday. As a result of these considerations in the management of such areas there
should be undertaken all efforts to increase tourism offer.
Another factor to be taken into account is that the distance of travel during holidays.
There is here a strong dependence of tourism demand for a specific area of travel
and duration to the destination.
If the destination is at a distance greater than the origin area, if it is accompanied by
the appropriate needs of tourist attractions in a particular historical period of time, it
was observed that the tendency of their choice related to offset shortfalls shipping.

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Another factor influencing tourism demand for a recreation area is the income level
of the citizens. It features very sophisticated area of tourism can lead to a greater
demand from tourists that have significant income, while other areas with fewer
facilities, but with a natural environment can be adequately searched by tourists with
modest incomes.
Relative to the age structure of tourists should be noted that older people will seek
quiet places May (mountain proper walk, meditation, resorts in the forested areas at
the edge of lakes, etc.), while young age population in general searches genial
amusement resorts (coastal), rising mountain to practice sports, etc.

Tourism and recreation to health care

This type of tourism is known since antiquity, being one of the oldest types. Traces
of practice of relaxing tourism and health care were found in some of our resorts
balneal-climatic, for example, Herculane Spa, Spa Geoagiu, Baile Felix, May 1, etc.
Economic and social conditions of modern life in which stress factor becomes more
pregnant, have led to an amplification of this form of tourism. Pollution in large
urban centres, the townspeople sedentary life, illnesses manifested in various forms
the most nutrition increasingly distant from the natural lead to the need for tourism
recovery of health.
Place of destination of this type of tourism is the resorts Spas pursuing recreational
functions, features and functions mixed treatment on the basis of climatic factors,
basin (thermal and mineral springs, sea water etc.).
The value of these resources with prophylactic and therapeutic properties is ensured
by the arrangement of facilities for providing medical treatment. Since participation
in this type of tourism takes place in most cases based medical references, he has an
organized being so devoid of seasonal oscillations and with a smoothing of the
distribution of tourists. Tourism demand is closely linked to supply and
diversification of services provided only as a basis financial that can lead to
amplifying this type in a specific area.
The need for treatment of medical prescriptions under conditions of long duration of
this type of tourism, at least three weeks.
Due to various resorts going towards prevention and treatment of disease, the most
closely related to therapeutic factors, the existing psycho-sociological factors have a
role in choosing the place of destination which is much reduced. It occurs because of
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a reduced mobility of tourists because of their close links with the resort, they are
dependent on the provided services.
Since health care involves the need for rest, recreation, this type of tourism can be
considered a more complex variant of tourism holiday (recreation). However, the
primary role in this type of tourism lays healthcare.

Tourism visitation
Tourism visitation is a mix of several types of tourism. It is also a recreational
tourism, having a strong cultural side. The people choose this type of tourism in the
acute need to broaden the horizon and the general culture. The beneficiaries are
mainly the intellectuals, because of their desire to continue the accumulation of new
knowledge.
Unlike the two previous treaties travel, tourism visitation is characterized by a small
number of participants, lacking character and weight.
An important factor which has favoured the development of this type of tourism is to
use an increasingly wide range of cars as a means of transport, which contributes to
a greater mobility of tourists, resulting in the same time and duration in general short
of this type of tourism. Increased mobility but it also induces a greater
unpredictability practiced routes, tourists could permanently change the options
according to the new points arising from the tourist route.
Tourism visitation has long shown greater in the summer season, route changes can
be easily modified because of the relative factors of climate in relation to periods of
spring-fall (rain, cold weather etc.) or the winter (abundant snow, winds, frosts, etc.).
Where tourism is practiced visiting at weekends, it will have a short term event and
an area not too far from the place of residence of the tourist. In both cases, however,
it is distinguished by a very brief presence in the visited places.
The distances to the places visited are closely associated with leisure available. The
objectives of this type of travel differ from those of the movement for recreational
tourism, as represented by the physical and geographical landscapes particularly
attractive, for different available anthropogenic items (cultural, economic, etc.), the
customs, etc. Through a country it implies a strong embranchment tourist flows. The
destination is mainly the cities, the places of anthropogenic concentration.

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Rural areas represent items of interest for this tour through the ethnographic
traditions and folklore as a very important factor in the internationalization of this
form of tourism.
One factor to be taken in the tourism visiting fashion that is influenced by current
cultural and media promotions can lead to important affluxes tourists to certain areas
that lacked a search in the past and, conversely, lower interest of areas that no longer
respect the needs of modern man.
Deeply humanitarian character of such travel is essential; it contributes to
broadening international contacts, the better mutual knowledge and respect of
people.
One side of tourism is visiting and the visiting relatives or acquaintances. This type
of tourism has a longer period than that applied to the knowledge of various
sightseeing places, but is manifested by a lower mobility, reflected by higher
average length of stay in a town. In many cases, this type of tourism does not take
into account tourist services in localities. This type of tourism does not depend on
the season, but may find a certain periodicity of individuals to visit those places.
However visiting various tourist attractions in the locality or area in question does
not bring large benefits for travel agents in the area.
Often this type of tourism that link to for recreation followed visiting tourists in
transit for sightseeing along the route. Tourism visitation also blends with tourism,
recreation and professional to health care.
An out-of-date cultural tourism is the religion. Today it is manifested in the world
famous places such as Jerusalem.

Transit Tourism
Tourism transit is not an independent type of tourism being wove with any of the
other types. Tourism is a transit, in particular, where the tourist destination is at a
great distance from town of residence of the tourist.
Thus, a journey through the territory of transit between the origin and the destination
can be conducted with or without interruptions at different points situated along the
route. Moving means self favouring the emergence of more of this type of tourism,
because the free choice of stopovers on the route of travel.

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Transit Tourism is usually short lasting, in some cases even below 24 hours. Almost
all cases it combines with tourism visitation, separation of which is almost
impossible. In this case, tourism, transit receives a longer and shorter stays by
default that mixing especially interesting in the places of the tour.
Seasonal distribution of this type of tourism depends on other types mentioned
above (tourism, recreation, tourism, visiting, etc.). In the light of these and the
direction of progress, the development of this type is conditioned by the
geographical situation, i.e. the favourable position in terms of shipments.
Uneven distribution in time of tourists, with maximum frequency in the summer
season and especially during the peak of it, causes difficulties in the operation of
tourist facilities.

Reduced Distance Tourism

Tourism distance has reduced many considerations to common events at the
recreation and health care.
Due to industrial development of cities, labour is increasing and it involves a factor
of great routine, becoming more and more citizens feel the need for recreation at
weekends.
Tourism distance so reduced shall be conducted under the need for power
regeneration in physical and intellectual work breaks.
Reduced distance relaxation falls in the short term, characterized by movements that
require a period of several hours to a day or even in a day. Demarcation basic types
of recreation reduced distance is not so dependent on the purpose and reasons for it,
but depending on your time. There are two areas of accessibility of this type of
tourism. Thus there is a settlement area and a peripheral area somewhat removed
whose size depends on the paths of communication, means of transport and material
welfare of citizens in the area.
Due to reduced distance of these areas compared to urban centre and as such due to
time and lower costs of transport, much of the urban population to participate
relaxation time low, these areas for recreation as large masses of population.
Depending on the temperament of the inhabitants of this type of recreation it can be
extended from individual events to the collective group.

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The number of tourists that attend the recreation of small distance is inversely
proportional to the distance from the urban areas. In this situation, the crucial fact of
life returns, expenses and difficulties of transport must not exceed a certain limit.
The first definition of this phenomenon relaxation believes that reduced the distance
is a recreation of short duration, achieved by a trip to the place of destination, where
they run fine without spending.
Even if the share spent without recreation is less than that spent by the efforts of
companies that provides travel services should be directed to just this kind of
tourism because it is obvious that the benefits will be higher.
Synthesizing the above, it concludes that relaxation in reduced distance is
performed, in most cases, the end of the week, the peripheral area of large urban
centres (which represent the main emitters of tourists), aimed relaxation force work
or visit. She carries a landscape less than the transformation of relaxation long.
The recreation of distance is very low and in terms of tourism demand balance,
avoiding seasonal oscillations, thus contributing to a more efficient use of materials.
In large urban centres, small relaxation distance recorded during the time developed.
The apparent close relationship with the city expansion in the territory has forced the
use of this area at increasing distance, and the development of transport.
Construction of railways which conditioned the establishment of recreation areas for
short-along these lines and auto transport which enabled turning the territory
between them have resulted in increasing the distance between town and recreation
areas.
So the last two include extra recreational areas and is in fact the place of tourism to
the reduced distance. However, unlike the immediate surroundings, which marks the
place of holiday with maximum duration of one day. Studies have shown that the
need for spent at distances greater than 100 km.
Using one or other areas suitable for recreation reduced distance depends both on
subjective factors and objective factors. In this sense come into consideration both
the time needed to take the distance between the origin and destination, and the rest
of the destination.
Differences that appear in the attendance of different areas are caused by the
tourists, by age groups, that depend largely on their recreational habits. In this
respect, some attendance areas play an important role for the tourist so they must be
equipped. Differences do occur and they depend on the structure of professional
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tourists. But the fact is that the attendance of the better endowed areas increases
according to the size of income.
The reduced distance of recreation is closely related to season, weather conditions
and type of relaxation.
The reduced distance relaxation is used especially by people from urban centres. The
Studies on this phenomenon show that approximately one third of the population in
the European cities prefers recreation of reduced distance. Participation rate varies in
proportion to the size of cities.
As regards the structure of age group, the predominant group is between 20-45
years, characterized by the highest mobility, the rest being composed of recreating
between 45-65 years (representing over one third) and those reported by 65 years, is
less.

Tourism-related work
Unlike the types of travel shown above, the movement of tourist business is not tied
to the annual leave or weekend work. It occurs Rather throughout the year, showing
in most cases a uniform distribution over the time. It is established between the
different administrative and cultural institutions, and between economic
relationships that exist between collaboration. Professional Tourism includes all
movements so with official institutions organized by the administrative, scientific,
cultural and the economic enterprises, commercial etc. As such, this type of tourism
takes place between different administrative centre, cultural, economic, etc.
depending on the number of these institutions and enterprises. In this type of tourism
can be put scientific and technical tourism and to some researchers, given that types
are independent.
In terms of tourist origin, and destination, large economic centres are both providing
and receiving tourists.
Unlike travel for recreation, those undertaken in the interests of the service usually
have a short duration (2-3 days) in accordance with the nature of their problems
awaiting resolution, such as, for example, participation in international fairs. These
trips only under certain conditions have a medium or long term, for example,
scientific tourism (e.g. attending conferences, travel for training, exchange of
experience etc.).

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To determine whether a settlement that a tourist accommodation enjoys a travel

professional, is not sufficient just an issue constantly and spent a uniform operating
capacity of accommodation during the year. To this end must occur and a shorter
duration of stay, because the presence of isolated first two characters may indicate
the presence of another type of tourism.
Unlike leisure tourism in the professional distance of travel and choice of destination
city no longer plays an important role in tourism. These results weaken the influence
exerted on this type of travel by psycho-sociological factors, which action
sometimes becomes invalid. Instead, it is important for institutions and enterprises to
ensure the best of what the move, seeking to offer a fast transport without loss of
time and at the same time comfortable and suitable conditions of accommodation. It
leads to significant expenses for travel and accommodation expenses incurred by the
issuing institution or enterprise. This type of tourism is very effective for the various
tourism facilities, especially for the accommodation, which in turn requires the
stimulation of the science in particular. Professional Tourism uses the full range of
tourism services from the accommodation, recreation and sports to the market and
targeting tourists. It links to this issue and by visiting various tourist attractions in
the town of tourist activity itself, and tourism is a professional movement of transit.
This type of tourism can also combine with tourism visitation.

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Cristureanu, C. (2006). Strategii i tranzacii in turismul internaional, Bucureti: Beck.
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Nedelea, Alex. (2003). Piata turistica, Bucuresti: Didactica si Pedagogica.

Turtureanu A. (2008). Culegere de ntrebari, teste si probleme pentru seminarul de economia
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