Typologies of Youth Tourism

AuthorDemeter, T. - Bratucu, G.
PositionDept. of Economic Sciences and Business Administration, Transilvania University of Brasov
Pages115-122
Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov
Series V: Economic Sciences • Vol. 7 (56) • No. 1 - 2014
TYPOLOGIES OF YOUTH TOURISM
T. DEMETER1 G. BR;TUCU1
Abstract: Youth tourism differentiated itself from the concept of traditional
tourism by the distinctive profile of its participants. In the last 10 years this
branch had a very rapid growth, contributing significantly to any countries’
economy due to the amount of money that was spent by young people on
different types of tourism. The aim of this paper is to present the most
practiced forms of youth tourism, and their development worldwide and also
in Romania. The conclusions show the most practiced types on a European
and on Romanian level.
Key words: Youth tourism, types, educational, volunteering.
1 Dept. of Economic Sciences and Business Administration, Transilvania University of Braşov.
1. Introduction
After the Second World War, in an
attempt to prevent a third one by getting to
know other cultures better, it became very
popular for young people to go abroad in
order to broaden their horizons, gain
knowledge of other cultures, and to learn a
foreign language [13].
At first, this kind of tourism was just a
part of the traditional tourism concept,
however, in time, its popularity began to
grow rapidly, and the pr ofile of the young
traveller was differentiated from the profile
of the classic tourist.
By the year 2010 there was estimated
that around 20% of the 940 million
international tourists travelling the world
were young people [39].
As the popularity of youth tourism grew,
so did the types of activities in which the
youth engaged during these trips.
The aim of this paper is to present the
most common types of youth tourism,
together with an overview of its practice at
European and Romanian level.
2. Conceptual framework
The concept of “youth tourism” has been
broadly defined in the specific literature;
however there is no clear definition
universally set and accepted.
The term “tourism” is defined by the
World Tourism Organization as: “activities
of people who travel to and stay in places
outside their usual environment for more
than twenty-four hours and not more than
one consecutive year, for leisure, business
or other purposes” [43].
The World Youth Student and
Educational Travel Confederation ads to
the above mentioned definition the term
„independent travel", which refers to trips
taken by young people independently,
without being accompanied by a parent or
guardian [16].
The term of „youth”, according to the
United Nations, is best understood as a
period of transition from the dependence of
childhood to adulthood’s independence
and awareness of our interdependence as
members of a community [42]. Youth is a
more fluid category than a fixed age-
group. However, the most common wa y to

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