The young tourist: a case of neglected research

Abstract

This paper reviews the state of the young tourist population and the research that has been conducted on the young tourist. It shows that despite the number of young people taking vacations they have generally been neglected by researchers. The separate and heterogeneous nature of this market segment is described. Its current size, economic significance, and potential for the future is highlighted. The lack of a standardised definition of what constitutes a young tourist and the implications of this for research are also discussed. Finally, it is suggested that a wide variety of research on the young tourist is still required. Copyright © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.