Social tourism is about travelling to places where social welfare activities taking

place. It's about visiting non-profit projects, a study tour or volunteering to give
back to the society.
An example of paying visit to Amte's "anandavan" (rehab for leprosy patients) in
MH, India.
SOCIAL IMPACTS OF TOURISM

The social impacts of tourism should not be confused with the popular term social tourism.
Social impacts of tourism refer to changes in the quality of life of residents of tourist destinations. The
objective of social tourism is to ensure that tourism is accessible to all people.

Host- Visitor Interactions

Tourism causes more interaction between peoples particularly between the tourists or visitors
and the local residents or hosts. To understand the social impact of tourism, the characteristics of
various types of visitors and the level of interaction with the hosts should be clarified. Smith (1997),
categorized tourist into several types and outline the intensity of interactions between tourist and
locals. Her classifications are as follows.

1 . E x p l o r e r s
Are a small group who travel almost as anthropologists.
2 . E l i t e
Tourists are experienced frequent travellers who like expensive tailor-made tours.
3 . O f f - b e a t t o u r i s t s
Aim to get away from other tourists.
4 . U n u s u a l t o u r i s t s
Make side trips from organized tours to experience local culture.
5 . I n c i p i e n t m a s s
Tourists travel to established destinations where tourism is not yet totally dominant.
6 . M a s s t o u r i s t s
Expect the same things they are used to at home.
7 . C h a r t e r t o u r i s t s
Have little or no interest in the destination itself providing that the holiday gives them the
entertainment and standards of food and accommodation they expect.

Smith`s divided tourist in seven categories: i) Explorer:- They are lust to explore new destinations. They
accept the lifestyle of their hosts. They live as active participants. ii) Elite tourists:- They are rarely seen.
They take up the pre arranged facilities. They adapt fully but temporarily to local norms. iii) Off beat
tourists:- They do something beyond norms. They always want to be away from tourist crowds. iv)
Unusual tourists:- These are occasional in number. They prefer to travel in an organized tour. They buy
an optional one day package tour. v) Incipient mass tourist:- It is steady flow of people seeking western
amenities and comfort. vi) Mass tourists:- These are the visitors of middle income. They prefer to visit in
groups. vii) Charter tourists:- They have minimal involvement with people and culture of the visited
country. They too demand the western amenities.