Understanding ethnic tourists

Abstract

Much of the discussion of ethnic tourism has concentrated on the impact of guests onhosts. This paper examines ethnic tourism from the perspective of the guests and is particularlyconcerned with understanding the nature of this market. The results of a study of more than 1,500visitors to an Aboriginal cultural park in Australia are reported. Four distinct groups of visitorswere identified based on their levels of interest in various aspects or features of ethnic tourismexperiences. The study found evidence that ethnic tourists may be balancing a desire for contactwith such hosts against a concern over feeling uncomfortable when making choices of theirethnic tourism products.