A tourist typology of online and face-to-face social contact: Destination immersion and tourism encapsulation/decapsulation

Abstract

The sense of tourism encapsulation/decapsulation is increasingly determined by the level and
\ntype of connectivity enabled by advanced Information Communication Technology (ICT). This
\nstudy explores tourists’ online and face-to-face social contacts and their effects on travel
\nexperiences. A six-fold tourist typology is established, namely: Disconnected Immersive
\nTraveller, Digital Detox Traveller, Diversionary Traveller, Dual Zone Traveller, Daily Life
\nController and Social Media Addict. A contact–immersion nexus is also developed to indicate
\nthe attachment tendencies of different tourist types between their home and away zones.
\nTheoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed.