What Are Traveler Types?

By Josh Bender & Team

Updated Yesterday

We standardize these profiles across all Forever Break travel content so you can easily find relevant content and ideas when planning your next vacation.

Note: it's worth clarifying that "traveler types" are not exhaustive and most people don't fit squarely in only 1 profile - they could span 2, 3 or even 5, depending on the location, season, travel group, and mood.

So have some fun and find out what's your traveler type.

Food ConnoisseurCulture BuffRelaxation GuruNature LoverOutdoor TrailblazerRecreational AthleteSports FanWellness PursuerLuxury MavenRetail TherapistEntertainment SpecialistNightlife StarBucketlist BanditPhotography WhizRoad TripperMystery HunterThrill SeekerFun Expert

Food Connoisseur

• Leads with their tastebuds.
• Believes that love is found on a plate licked clean.
• Appreciates the history and culture behind every dish.
• Often a passionate home cook and enjoys experimenting with exotic ingredients.

Ideal vacation: eating their way through Penang's street food scene.

Avoids: Big Macs, chicken nuggets and airport food.

Goes out of their way for: a mouthwatering bowl of ramen.

Culture Buff

• Travels the world to open their mind.
• Their intellect is their greatest asset. Feels comfortable reading a weighty book or sitting back with a doco on Netflix.
• Facinated by human or natural history - both modern and ancient.
• May be an art affectionado. And if so, likely to be a fan of Italian Renaissance artists.
• Gets thrilled by exploring the fabric of human expression in all forms - artistic, scientific, political, religious, gastronomic, and more.

Ideal vacation: weaving between art galleries and museums in Paris or London.

Avoids: low-brow conversation topics like sports and Hollywood gossip.

Goes out of their way for: a historic castle in the middle of nowhere.

Relaxation Guru

• Aims to unplug their mind and body on a vacation - usually in a warm location.
• Often works long hours in high-pressure situations and seeks respite a few times each year. Although they may go for over a year between vacations to save up for "a big one".
• The workaholic version may be emailing the office from their smartphone will dangling their legs in the swimming pool.
• A sports-inclined version may prefer a round of golf to release tension (or get away from their spouse).

Ideal vacation: sipping a pina colada while lounging in a shady hammock at a Caribbean 5-star beachside resort.

Avoids: intense hiking for long distances.

Goes out of their way for: a picture-perfect hotel with a flawless rating on TripAdvisor and giant lagoon-style pool.

Nature Lover

• Appreciates beauty in nature.
• Gets close to nature at every opportunity possible.
• Is fascinated by birds, fish, and anything that crawls on land.
• Very mindful of the environment - trees, grasslands, geology and more.

Ideal vacation: mild hiking combined with a little sport like bike riding, swimming or snorkeling.

Avoids: performing animals, and Gucci handbags.

Goes out of their way for: towering waterfalls and scenic vistas.

Outdoor Trailblazer

• More hardcore than the nature lover, but with some overlap.
• Gets a buzz out of being completely disconnected from the "outside world".
• Hiking is in their blood. They have to explore, and seek out new horizons.
• More active versions engage in multi-day mountain hikes.

Ideal vacation: sleeping under the stars at Big Sur, or kayaking in Slovenia.

Avoids: 5-star beachside mega-resorts.

Goes out of their way for: an uber remote camping spot.

Recreational Athlete

• Engages in a form of intense physical activity - either individually (bike riding, windsurfing, rock climbing), or as a team (basketball, football, baseball).
• Working up a sweat is an essential part of any vacation.
• Watching sports on TV is ok, but participating is the real thrill.
• A more environmentally orientated version is drawn to nature, whereas the big smoke version seeks out urban sports like indoor beach volleyball or parkour.

Ideal vacation: cycling through the south of France or surfing the big waves of Hawaii.

Avoids: shopping malls... unless the department store sells their favorite sports gear.

Goes out of their way for: any game or activity that raises their heartbeat and makes them feel alive.

Sports Fan

• Enjoys watching or passively engaging in sport, including golf, boxing, tennis, American football, or cricket.
• Well aquainted with their favorite sports team (or teams) - likely to know everything about key athletes.
• Not uncommon to participate in occasional gambling to make the sport more exciting (if it's legal)... or just a friendly wager for bragging rights.
• A sacred location is more likely to include a sports stadium than a church.

Ideal vacation: watching the world poker championships in Las Vegas, cheering on a Muay Thai fight in Bangkok, or holding their breath at the grand final in Wimbledon.

Avoids: discussions about politics or religion.

Goes out of their way for: a high-stakes sports competition featuring their favorite athlete.

Wellness Pursuer

• Into day spas, massage, pampering or yoga.
• This person could be meditating at sunrise on the beach or reading self-improvement books.
• The healthier version is likely to be a vegan, preferring organic produce and oat milk lattes.

Ideal vacation: a 5-day detox retreat in Ubud, Bali.

Avoids: greasy hamburgers.

Goes out of their way for: a highly rated spa or well-respected yoga teacher.

Luxury Maven

• Into high-end brands, handbags, cosmetics, perfumes, and jewelry.
• Only will be seen in the latest designer clothes.
• The younger versions live on Instagram and Pinterest.
• They seek the latest fashion trends and enjoy watching fashion shows.
• Often prefers fine dining establishments.
• They will go to art galleries and museums that feature world-renowned artists and exhibits.
• The male version tends to be drawn to luxury watches, tailored suits, and expensive cars.

Ideal vacation: meandering all day in luxury shopping malls in Singapore or even better - Fashion Week in Milan or Paris.

Avoids: exotic street food and K-mart.

Goes out of their way for: the latest hip boutique fashion store.

Retail Therapist

• A more down-to-earth version of the luxury maven. They're more price-savvy and love bargain hunting.
• "Sale" is a sacred 4 letter word.
• Many of these folks are collectors. They look for the next knick-knack or keepsake to display on their shelf, and remember their far-flung adventures.
• Luxury shopping malls and street markets are equally adored - and are willing to shed blood for a door-buster sale.
• Heavy user of credit cards, debit cards, cash, kidneys and other forms of payment available.
• The younger versions do a lot of their shopping on mobile devices, and are on a first-name basis with the FedEx guy.

Ideal vacation: a little bit of relaxing, sightseeing and then a lot of shopping.

Avoids: ancient history (unless the museum has a decent gift store!)

Goes out of their way for: a unique souvenir.

Entertainment Specialist

• Into theatre, musicals, concerts and other live performing arts.
• It's not unusual to be a movie and/or music buff as well.
• They want to go where the action is and are often characterized by their boundless energy.
• Chances are they know the latest A-list Hollywood actors off the top of their head.
• They see the value in paying extra for closer seats to see Justin Timberlake or Le Miserable.

Ideal vacation: big theatre cities like New York, London or Berlin.

Avoids: nose-bleed seats, and small country towns.

Goes out of their way for: a brand new musical show.

Nightlife Star

• They come to life at night.
• These night owls love hanging out at bars or nightclubs. The younger versions are more likely to be dancing with random strangers, while more conservative versions just enjoy letting their hair down with close friends.
• Deciding on a vacation destination will center around the nightlife options - the more, the better.
• Neon lights sing to them siren songs.
• They often partake in more alcohol than needed.

Ideal vacation: Las Vegas, New Orleans, Amsterdam, or Bangkok.

Avoids: anywhere without music.

Goes out of their way for: a cocktail containing dry ice, or a world-renowned DJ performing live.

Bucketlist Bandit

• Life is seen as a series of accomplishments.
• They don't need to hear the whole backstory of a location - just catch a selfie and swarm over to the next target.
• Apprehensive versions feel comfortable in large tour groups because they don't have to think too hard, whereas the adventurous version leans towards independant travel.
• Instagram or Facebook is their primary outlet to share their exploits with friends and family. If they inspire jealousy, even better.
• Chances are they spend more time looking at their phone than the beautiful views they travelled 1,000 miles for.
• They're not intimidated by thronging crowds - if there's more people, then that means the place must be popular... which is a good thing!

Ideal vacation: Eiffel Tower in Paris or Times Square in New York.

Avoids: quirkly, lesser-known attractions because what would be the point if their friends haven't heard about it?

Goes out of their way for: a landmark that is really, really famous that millions of people have already seen.

Photography Whiz

• That perfect shot is all that matters.
• They appreciate a stunning vista, beautiful cityscape or unique rock formation.
• Life as a combination of lines, shadows and textures.
• They will photograph food before eating it, or capture that statue before actually asking what it was.
• They will often look up the historical significance of the place they've been to AFTER they've already photographed it.
• The less technical version, are into selfies and Instagram. While more senior versions are attached at the hip to their DSLR or mirrorless camera, and are proficient in Adobe Lightroom.

Ideal vacation: the Grand Canyon, Iceland, or Singapore.

Avoids: overly busy tourist traps (too many photo bombers!).

Goes out of their way for: a perfect shot of just about anything.

Road Tripper

• All they need is a car and the open road. They love the freedom of getting behind the wheel, and flexibility to go wherever the wind blows.
• These come in multiple versions, ranging from family trippers with 2 youngsters crying in the back, to seniors towing their RV to the next destination.
• One essential piece of equipment to every road tripper is the epic playlist. Music and munchies are absolute necessities.
• Roadside attractions are not cheesy in the slightest. Giant fruit-shaped fiberglass constructions are endearing rather than laughable.
• They believe the journey is just as important as the destination.

Ideal vacation: Pacific Northwest in USA, Amalfi Coast in Italy, or Great Ocean Road in Australia.

Avoids: Brittany Spears songs.

Goes out of their way for: a scenic drive.

Mystery Hunter

• Gets a buzz from the weird and wonderful.
• They're drawn to the supernatural and surreal.
• Ripley's Believe It or Not, might appease the baby mystery hunters, but more developed species will cross continents to find unsolved mysteries like Stonehenge.
• These folks are content exploring underground tunnels or delving into Caribbean voodoo practices.

Ideal vacation: Gates of Hell in Turkmenistan.

Avoids: Disneyland.

Goes out of their way for: a peculiar or spooky location.

Thrill Seeker

• Adrenaline is their middle name.
• Would prefer a bungee jump over a sun lounge any day of the week.
• They thrive on excitement, whether it be adventure sports, roller coasters or even escape rooms and laser tag.
• Cliff jumping is mandatory on tropical island vacations.
• Theme parks are only interesting if the roller coaster has at least 2 inverted loops.

Ideal vacation: seeking out the scariest rides at Six Flags or jumping out of a plane (with a parachute) in New Zealand.

Avoids: anything too slow-paced like a 14-day trans-Atlantic cruise.

Goes out of their way for: an adrenaline rush.

Fun Expert

• A milder, more family-friendly version of the thrill seeker.
• They're into theme parks, waterslides, and amusement parks. Wherever fun lives, they'll be there.
• You'll find this person in county fairs, playing shooter games or at the more adventurous end of the scale into fun competitive sports like archery.
• Aquariums and zoos are essential vacation fodder.
• They're not doing it for the adrenaline rush, but love retelling their adventures to family and friends.
• They'll commonly purchase photos taken on roller coasters, and may even have a mug in their kitchen cupboard with their face on it.

Ideal vacation: Disney World Resort in Florida, or a 7-night Caribbean cruise.

Avoids: standing still for more than 10 minutes... unless it's a queue for an awesome waterslide.

Goes out of their way for: a good time, wherever it is and whatever form it takes.