Cohen (1972), was one of the first researchers to suggest that tourists could be classified on the basis of similar observable behaviors. Yiannakis and Gibson (1992), addressed this issue, specifically devising a comprehensive classification of leisure tourists (which contains sport tourists) and they designed their Tourist Roles Preference Scale (TRPS). Hall (1992), determined sport as a particular form of tourism, Gibson (1998), referred that sport tourism is journey for recreation that lead people outside from their local societies, in order to participate at athletic activities, to attend them or to visit places that are related with sports. The purpose of this study was to determine which of the 22 human needs have significant statistical difference between men and women and the age stages as Levinson (1996) defined: 17-22, 23-27, 28-33, 34-39, 40 45, 46-49, 50-55, 56-59, 60-65 and over 66 of tourists in Greece. The data was consisted of a stratified sample by age and sex of 1675 tourists. The questionnaire is based on “Tourist Roles Preference Scale” of Gibson Heather & Yiannakis Andrew (2002) and the questionnaires were distributed at the two bigger airports in Greece: Eleftherios Venizelos at Athens and Macedonia airport at Thessaloniki. For the statistical analysis it was used the SPSS. Two-way Anova for independent variables was used to explore the significant statistical differences between dependent variable human needs and independent variables “age stages” (C) and sex (R). The results showed that there is not significant statistical interaction between “age stages”*sex on the 22 human needs and also there is not significant statistical main effect of sex on the 22 human needs. The variable “age stages” has statistical differences with the 16 of the 22 human needs and with Post hoc it was revealed between which categories are those differences. These results are very important for  the planning of tourist packages and for the destinations marketing profile.

Access to document: B23_Georgia_Yfantidou.pdf

Ethics and Cultural Mediation in the Tourist Area. The Mediators of the Tourist Leisure and the Tourist Entertainer.
Xavier Puertas, Escola Universitaria d’Hoteleria i Turisme – CETT UB (Barcelona, Espagne)

The cultural reality of a region is an argument more than sufficient to distinguish a tourist offer, although because of several circumstances some practices have eventually distorted the initial potential for the sake of a tourist benefit much closer to popular standardization. This fact is related to the questionable ethical practice of the leisure industry and its promoters. The experiences in this sense are not limited to a specific country, but have been carried out in many consolidated tourist destinations. At present, their consequences can be unsuspected, since the tourist has more and more information about the destination’s context and tends to value authenticity and singularity more. Between the tourist attractions and the travellers are the intermediaries and the promoters, the companies that act as real channels for proposals and highlight many of the potential aspects of the region to dynamize the destination. It is the context of the tourist mediators, who act in three different areas: the administration, the agencies and the establishments offering accommodation. The third of these typologies defines tourist entertainers. This profile has not been analyzed in depth, even though it is a key element within the tourism industry. Analyzing this profile in depth, the essential functions –relationship, production and organization- can be determined. Such functions must lead to proper, suitable, real proposals so that the exerted mediation is authentic and accurate according to the cultural context of the establishment. This should enable optimal dynamization, which has positive effects on the traveller, the region and the mercantilist intentions of the companies that exert their mediation. Keywords Leisure tourism, cultural mediating, tourist entertainment, ethic and cultural responsibility.