THE YOUNG TOURIST GUIDE TO PARADISE: UNDERSTANDING BEHAVIOURAL PATTERNS OF YOUNG BEACH-ORIENTED TOURISTS

Abstract

This paper seeks to advance knowledge of young beach-oriented tourists by employing a qualitative research method. The research was conducted in Ios, on the south of Athens, Greece. The location represented an extremely popular destination for young people from all over the world. After three months of observation and interviews with twenty five young tourists, the findings interestingly show that the young tourists’ patterns of behaviour on holiday were often discussed by them in contrast to the patterns of behaviour in the home environment. This finding has important implications because it further expands our understanding of the relationship between the tourism experience and the leisure experience in the home environment.