Revisiting Plog’s Model of Allocentricity and Psychocentricity... One More Time

Abstract

Stanley Plog’s model of allocentricity and psychocentricity, a seminal tourism model, has been widely cited in the tourism literature and is included in virtually every hospitality and tourism text. At the same time, it has been scrutinized by a host of critics who questioned aspects of the model’s applicability and validity. This study of travelers’ vacation histories seeks to add to the research regarding this important model. The results present an interesting dichotomy, indicating that although the model does not really help to predict where travelers are likely to visit, it is highly effective in suggesting where they would ideally like to visit. These findings should be of significant value to tourism marketers and researchers attracted to Plog’s model.