What is mass tourism?

Over the years, mass tourism has been dominating the tourism sector. Mass tourism is when large numbers of people visit the same destinations, often at the same time of year, for purposes such as leisure and recreation. However, more people have found specialist tourism which gives them a change to choose specifically what they wanted to do with the possibility to get their holiday cheaper.

The growth of Specialist tour operators.

Due to the rise in specialist tourism, specialist tour operators have emerged such as Audley Travel and Kuoni. Over the period of 2019 to 2023, special interest tour operators  saw a promising growth of up to 12.50% CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate). This is due to COVID as people realized that there is more to do outside of their home than what they used to do and they valued going out more as they experienced what being stuck inside was like. This and the fact that since people weren't spending what they were before lockdown, people had more disposable income to spend on holidays and so it gave the specialist tourism a chance to grow. 

The move from packaged holidays to unpackaged holidays.

Packages holidays are when the traveler purchases their holiday all at once in a package. This includes, flights, transfers, accommodation and food and drink. Purchasing via a package holiday tour operator, they will add on extra expenses so that they receive a sum of the total without making it so that the other companies don't get the full amount that they deserve. 

An unpackaged holiday is when the traveler decides to book the transfers, flights and accommodation separately, directly from their website or in person. this can work out cheaper as you can access the budget airlines, exclusive hotel deals and more. 

Specialist tour operators offer a different way of going on holiday to the previously more commonly used package holiday tour operators such as Jet 2 or Tui. However, the packaged holidays didn't cater for the specific wants and needs of customers and so they turned to specialist tour operators who have exactly what they want when they want it. This caused the majority of travelers to look at different options and choose the specialist tour operator instead. They did however, give people peace of mind as they knew that every aspect of their holiday was covered and there won't be any surprises when they get there. 

The role of budget airlines.

When going on a holiday, you need a way to get there. with most specialist activities being away from busy parts of countries, budget airlines are the way to go. Not only will you be able to find a holiday for cheaper then that of a packaged one when looking individually, but they also fly to airports further away from busy city centers as it is cheaper but more beneficial for the specialist travelers. Budget airlines also bring flexible dates as they are looking to carry as many people whenever they can.

New and upcoming destinations

One upcoming destination for specialist tourism is Rwanda. It is the perfect destination for Adventure and Nature holidays as you can trek the forest to find gorillas or trekking up a chain of dormant volcanoes. This destination is up and coming due to the fact that in 2021 it was said to be the safest country to visit prior to the pandemic and was ranked as one of the hottest travel destinations.

Ethiopia is another prime example of an upcoming destination to visit. With a diverse split of nature and ancient history, Ethiopia is perfect for more than one specialist tourist types. With it being said that they have one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in Africa, Ethiopia is the only country in Africa that wasn't colonized making the culture and traditions flourish. The mountain range is home to some of the worlds most famous rock-hewn churches. 

Georgia

Georgia is a perfect destination for culinary and adventure tourists as it is mostly known for stunning landscapes and their cuisines. It is also a prime destination for religious tourism as they house the oldest Christian churches in the world.