What Type of Traveler Are You? Understanding the Psychology of Novelty in Travel.

What really drives our travel decisions?

It’s easy to point to Instagram posts, guidebooks, or the dream of “getting away.” But underneath it all, our travel behavior is guided by something deeper: how comfortable we are with unfamiliar environments, how we seek connection, and how we balance structure with spontaneity. These inner preferences shape how we travel just as much as where we go.

Exploring our travel preferences is key—not only for more meaningful travel, but for finding the right kind of travel experience for each individual person. If you’re going to sped your time and money on an international trip, you want to make sure you get what you’re looking for. 

The Travel Style Spectrum: Beyond Labels and Stereotypes

You’ve likely heard broad generalizations like “American tourists love comfort” or “backpackers are more adventurous.” But in truth, traveler identity is far more nuanced.

A powerful tool for unpacking this is the International Tourist Role (ITR) Scale, developed by researchers to measure how people navigate the spectrum between novelty and familiarity. And what it reveals is that we each carry a unique orientation toward exploration, planning, and connection—regardless of nationality. While the ITR is not commercially available, the questions it poses can still be helpful in making travel decisions.

The Three Dimensions of How We Travel

The ITR scale is built around three dimensions that influence our choices as travelers:

1. Destination Orientation

Do you crave the thrill of a totally new setting (also known as high contrast experiences) or feel more at ease when some elements — language, food, customs — are familiar? This dimension reflects how much “difference” we seek in our destinations. There’s no right or wrong—it’s about our comfort zones and how willing we are to stretch them. This may even change throughout our lives. 

2. Travel Arrangement Style

Are you a detailed planner with color-coded itineraries, or someone who books a one-way ticket and figures it out as you go? This speaks to your structure tolerance. Some travelers find freedom in control; others find it in the unknown. Knowing this helps you design or choose experiences that fit your energy and mindset.

3. Sociocultural Contact

Do you seek out real connection with local communities—learning, sharing, and immersing? Or do you prefer observing from a respectful distance? Are you eager to connect with people different from you, and attempt interactions, even if you aren’t confident in the language? Do you want to find a travel experience that facilitates sociocultural contact?

This dimension touches directly on cultural intelligence (CQ). It’s where your curiosity, humility, and openness to “the other” show up. It’s also where the most meaningful, transformative moments tend to happen.

Why This Matters for You and Your Journey

At Beyond Tourism, we believe that travel is a vehicle for personal and cultural transformation. But transformation doesn’t happen by accident—it starts with awareness.

Knowing where you fall on these dimensions helps you:

• Choose travel experiences that feel aligned with your travel preferences, and experiences that will enhance your cultural intelligence.

• Understand your own patterns and preferences without judgment. We all have them.

• Engage more deeply, mindfully, and respectfully with the places you visit.

Beyond Tourism wants to help you find the right travel for you, and be prepared culturally. 

The Cultural Intelligence Connection

Here’s where it all comes full circle. Cultural intelligence (CQ) is the ability to relate and work effectively across cultures. And these travel dimensions—what we seek, how we plan, and how we connect—are the playground where CQ gets practiced and refined.

A high-CQ traveler is curious, reflective, and agile. They notice their reactions to differences. They adjust. They listen. They know that true transformation doesn’t just come from seeing the world—but from seeing themselves in relation to it.

Awareness Is the New Souvenir

So… what kind of traveler are you?

Do you lean into the unfamiliar, or seek a thread of home wherever you go?

Do you dive into new cultures or dip your toes with care?

There’s no one right way to travel. But the more aware you are of your style, your values, and your boundaries, the more intentional—and transformative—your journey can become.

✨ Curious about what kind of trip would work for you? Fill out this contact form, and Renae from Beyond Tourism will reach out to talk through your preferences, and find the right kind of adventure for you. 

Interested in this research? Here’s the citation:

Jiang, Jeff, et al. “Validating the International Tourist Role Scale.” Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 27, no. 4, 2000, pp. 964–81.