Introduction
This essay explores New Zealand’s positioning on Stanley Plog’s allocentrism-psychocentrism scale, a framework used to categorise tourists based on their travel preferences and behaviours. It examines how this positioning reflects current tourism trends, including the types of tourists visiting New Zealand and their motivations. Additionally, the essay proposes targeted strategies to attract both allocentric and psychocentric tourists through specific attractions, marketing campaigns, and infrastructure improvements. Finally, it critically assesses the strengths and limitations of Plog’s model in explaining New Zealand’s tourism dynamics, drawing on academic critiques and alternative perspectives. By integrating theoretical insights with practical analysis, this essay aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of New Zealand’s tourism landscape within the context of Plog’s typology.
New Zealand’s Positioning on the Allocentrism-Psychocentrism Scale
Stanley Plog’s (1974) allocentrism-psychocentrism scale classifies tourists along a continuum based on their preference for novelty and risk. Allocentric tourists are adventurous, seeking unfamiliar destinations and cultural immersion, while psychocentric tourists prefer familiarity, comfort, and structured environments. New Zealand, often marketed as a destination for adventure and natural beauty, leans towards the allocentric end of the scale. The country’s tourism brand, promoted through campaigns like “100% Pure New Zealand,” heavily emphasises its rugged landscapes, unique Maori culture, and activities such as bungee jumping, trekking, and skiing (Tourism New Zealand, 2023). These attributes align with the preferences of allocentric tourists who seek novel, off-the-beaten-path experiences.
However, New Zealand also caters to mid-centric tourists—those positioned between allocentrism and psychocentrism—through well-developed infrastructure, guided tours, and urban attractions in cities like Auckland and Wellington. This dual appeal suggests that while New Zealand is primarily allocentric in its global image, it possesses elements that attract a broader spectrum of travellers. Indeed, this positioning reflects a strategic balance, as the country aims to maintain a reputation for adventure while ensuring accessibility for less risk-averse visitors.
Current Tourism Trends and Tourist Motivations
New Zealand’s allocentric positioning is mirrored in current tourism trends, particularly the types of tourists it attracts and their motivations. According to Statistics New Zealand (2023), a significant proportion of international visitors are from Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom, many of whom are drawn by nature-based and adventure tourism. These tourists often cite motivations such as exploring landscapes (e.g., Fiordland National Park), participating in extreme sports, and experiencing indigenous Maori culture (Hall, 2005). Such preferences are quintessentially allocentric, as they involve a desire for unique, unscripted experiences and a willingness to engage with unfamiliar environments.
Nevertheless, there is evidence of growing interest from mid-centric and psychocentric tourists, particularly post-pandemic, as travellers seek safer and more predictable holiday options. For instance, the rise in cruise tourism around New Zealand’s coastal cities indicates a demand for structured, low-risk travel experiences (Smith, 2010). Furthermore, family-oriented tourism products, such as Hobbiton Movie Set tours, cater to visitors seeking familiarity and comfort, often motivated by popular culture rather than a desire for novelty. This suggests that while New Zealand’s core appeal remains allocentric, global trends towards safety and accessibility are influencing visitor profiles and motivations.
Strategies to Attract Allocentric and Psychocentric Tourists
To maintain its appeal to allocentric tourists while expanding its reach to psychocentric visitors, New Zealand could implement a range of targeted strategies. For allocentric tourists, the focus should remain on promoting unique, immersive experiences. Marketing campaigns could highlight lesser-known destinations, such as the remote Stewart Island, through social media platforms and partnerships with adventure travel influencers. Additionally, infrastructure improvements, such as better access to hiking trails and eco-lodges, would enhance the appeal of off-grid experiences. For example, developing guided cultural tours with Maori communities could provide authentic engagement, a key motivator for allocentric travellers (Hall, 2005).
Conversely, to attract psychocentric tourists, New Zealand could invest in creating safe, structured, and familiar environments. Developing all-inclusive resort packages in scenic locations like Queenstown, complete with guided tours and family-friendly activities, would cater to comfort-seeking visitors. Marketing campaigns could focus on portraying New Zealand as a “safe adventure” destination, using testimonials from past visitors to build trust. Furthermore, improving accessibility—such as expanding airport facilities and offering multilingual tourist information—would address the practical concerns of psychocentric travellers who prioritise ease and predictability (Smith, 2010). By adopting a dual marketing approach and tailoring infrastructure to diverse needs, New Zealand can broaden its tourist base without compromising its core allocentric identity.
Strengths and Limitations of Plog’s Model in Explaining New Zealand’s Tourism Dynamics
Plog’s model offers several strengths in understanding New Zealand’s tourism dynamics. Firstly, it provides a useful framework for categorising tourists and predicting their preferences, which aligns with New Zealand’s primary appeal to allocentric and mid-centric visitors seeking nature and adventure (Plog, 1974). The model also aids in market segmentation, enabling tourism operators to design products that target specific traveller types. For instance, the emphasis on adventure tourism in New Zealand can be directly linked to Plog’s description of allocentric motivations.
However, the model has notable limitations, as highlighted by academic critiques. Smith (2010) argues that Plog’s typology oversimplifies tourist behaviour by assuming static personalities, ignoring the influence of situational factors such as life stage, income, or cultural background. In New Zealand’s context, this critique is relevant, as many visitors exhibit hybrid behaviours—combining allocentric activities (e.g., hiking) with psychocentric preferences (e.g., staying in luxury hotels). Moreover, Plog’s model does not account for the impact of external trends, such as the rise of sustainable tourism, which increasingly shapes visitor motivations in New Zealand (Hall, 2005). Alternative perspectives, such as Cohen’s (1972) tourist typology, offer a more nuanced understanding by considering the degree of institutionalisation in travel arrangements, which better captures the diversity of New Zealand’s tourist profiles.
Arguably, while Plog’s model remains a valuable starting point, it must be complemented by other frameworks to fully explain the complexities of New Zealand’s tourism landscape. For example, integrating insights from destination lifecycle theories (Butler, 1980) could provide a more dynamic analysis of how New Zealand’s appeal evolves over time, particularly as it balances allocentric and psychocentric demands.
Conclusion
In conclusion, New Zealand’s positioning on the allocentrism-psychocentrism scale leans towards allocentrism, reflected in its global image as a hub for adventure and cultural immersion. This positioning aligns with current tourism trends, attracting allocentric tourists motivated by unique experiences, alongside a growing segment of mid-centric and psychocentric visitors seeking comfort and familiarity. Proposed strategies, including tailored marketing campaigns and infrastructure developments, demonstrate how New Zealand can cater to diverse tourist types while maintaining its core identity. However, while Plog’s model offers practical insights for segmentation, its limitations—such as oversimplification and lack of adaptability—highlight the need for complementary frameworks to fully understand New Zealand’s tourism dynamics. Ultimately, a balanced approach to tourism planning and analysis will ensure that New Zealand remains a competitive and inclusive destination in an ever-evolving global market.
References
- Butler, R.W. (1980) The concept of a tourist area cycle of evolution: Implications for management of resources. Canadian Geographer, 24(1), pp. 5-12.
- Cohen, E. (1972) Toward a sociology of international tourism. Social Research, 39(1), pp. 164-182.
- Hall, C.M. (2005) Tourism: Rethinking the Social Science of Mobility. Pearson Education.
- Plog, S.C. (1974) Why destination areas rise and fall in popularity. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 14(4), pp. 55-58.
- Smith, M.K. (2010) Issues in Cultural Tourism Studies. 2nd ed. Routledge.
- Statistics New Zealand (2023) International Visitor Arrivals to New Zealand. New Zealand Government.
- Tourism New Zealand (2023) 100% Pure New Zealand Campaign. Tourism New Zealand Corporate.
Note: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of cited information and references, specific URLs for online sources have not been included due to the unavailability of verified direct links at the time of writing. Readers are encouraged to access these sources through academic databases or official websites.
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