When it comes to identifying and classifying the types of tourists, anyone tends to be a little creative in their categorization. Case in point: One can point out specific hobbies or personal interests as a point of comparison.
However, it is interesting how seemingly trivial personal habits can tell a lot about a certain individual. In terms of identifying tourists, one can deduce their general character based on their packing habits.
Light Traveler
These types of tourists are the typical 'no fuss' traveler whose packed personal effects are stripped to the barest necessities. Their key travel possessions are usually a bathroom kit and first aid supplies (if there is more room). Extra clothes are mostly bought as souvenirs. Most of the extra load in their backpacks is often comprised of consumables. Those who closely resemble their tourist profile include eco-tourists, hikers, beach bums and drifters.
Smart Aleck
Among the types of tourists classified according to packing habits, the smart alecks are those who have extensively studied their destination. Apart from the selection of clothes chosen according to the local climate, their key travel possessions include maps and notes on carefully memorized foreign phrases. Smart aleck tourists can be inflexible in terms of sticking to their itinerary. Their meticulousness may extend to a checklist of the day's activities.
Obsessive Compulsive
These tourists can be as annoying as smart alecks in terms of their relative inflexibility. Tourists with OCD prefer hypoallergenic environments. Their inventory includes hand sanitizers, wet wipes, and tidily arranged personal effects. They may get cranky when some things are misplaced in their luggage. Getting them to do things that are relatively unhygienic is close to impossible. In worst cases, these types of tourists may not dine at local street bistros in fear of substandard food preparation.
Tech Savvy
Similar to light travelers, the tech savvy is a bit flexible in terms of their itinerary or the 'disorderliness' of their personal inventory. Shrewd types carry with them small but highly integrated gadgets (e.g. high-end smartphones) and leave some room for other necessities. Some tech-savvy tourists sporting a Go Pro camera headwear couldn't wait to shoot first-person views of their wild adventures. Their social media and blogs are potentially viral material.
