Abstract

Prevalent sociopsychological models examining tourists’ needs and motivations
affecting destination choices are discussed by taking Plog’s (1974) psychographic profiles,
Cohen’s (1979) tourist typology, and Peace’s (1988) travel career ladder. Meanwhile, these
three models have only been tested independently, and while considering the complex nature
of the modern tourism environment, a psychological factor-led tourists’ decision-making
process cannot precisely examine how tourists choose a certain type of destination. This
study, therefore, argues that no single model can adequately explain tourists’ destination
selection process as well as travel behaviors and introduces a new integrated perspective of
existing psychological models. Additional factors such as distance decay and
sociodemographic elements are linked to the tourists’ destination decision-making process.