10 Types Of Travelers And What To Get Them For The Holidays

1. The backpacker.

This traveller never takes more than they can carry – literally. Their belongings are compact and efficient and they’ve visited more countries in the past year than you’ve been to in your life. It can be tricky figuring out what to get for this traveller because you don’t want to add to their baggage, but you do want to find them an appropriately practical gift. 

What to get them: A luggage weight scale, which they can easily stick in their backpack to ensure they won’t be hit with overweight fees at the airport or an international adapter so they don’t end up with six different adapters as they cross various continents.

2. The techy traveller.

This traveller isn’t quite as interested in seeing the world as they are in capturing it. You’ll find them setting up their tripods anywhere with a view and then holed up in the hostel for hours on end editing videos. They have a variety of tech gear on their Christmas list but of course you want to surprise them with something they haven’t thought of yet.

What to get them: A Power Bag backpack that charges their electronics while they enjoy over-cooked pasta on the airplane.

3. The planner.

This knowledgeable traveller seems to enjoy the process of planning a trip almost more than they enjoy being on it. You’ll find them holed up in their room for days at a time before they leave to travel and they never show up at the airport without full-day itineraries that map out the entirety of their trip. This super organized traveller never finds themselves up the creek without a paddle – and if they do, they know exactly where to go for a replacement.

What to get them: The Travel Planner Workbook to help them organize upcoming trips, or a Ticket Stub Diary to organize their mementos once the trip is done!

4. The partier.

This energetic type needs a lot of stimulation – which means that wherever they go, the party comes with them. You will be genuinely confused as to how the partier can sleep so little while travelling, until you realize that their average day begins at 4pm. You will find this type populating youth hostels, crushing beer cans with their foreheads and spearheading a pub-crawl.

What to get them: Portable travel speakers that are waterproof, shockproof and dust proof – meaning they can endure even the most intense beach parties!

5. The adventurer.

This traveller is genuinely puzzled as to why anyone in the history of time has ever spent money on a hotel. With a tent in their backpack and a half of the Northface store on their body, the adventurer heads out into the wild in pursuit of the next great physical challenge. You’ll find them in just about every national park, slinging ropes where ropes shouldn’t be slung, and recounting tales of hiking the PCT.     

What to get them: The ultimate Multi-tool that will get them out of any pinch. Or dry bags. (For the adventurous traveller, there is no such thing as too many dry bags…)

6. The soul-searcher.

This traveller has a unique life philosophy that centers around self-actualization and inspirational Mark Twain quotes. They are travelling to find themselves, unearth age-old truths about mankind and regularly update their blogs. You will usually find them holed up in the corner of a crowded bar, asking some tattooed guy what his innermost hopes and dreams are.

What to get them: A vintage journal in which they can record their many musings.

7. The cautious traveller.

This is either a first-time traveller or a seasoned traveller who has seen their fair share of misadventures. Either way, this type maintains an active paranoia that their plane is going to crash, their wallet is going to get stolen and their identity is going to be hijacked the second they step out the front door. You’ll find this person staring suspiciously at everyone in the local market and then awkwardly pulling money out of their shoe.

What to get them: Pickpocket-Deterring Underwear to ensure that your money is stored where even the bravest of thieves won’t go.

8. The beach bum.

This type travels for one reason alone: To relax. They want to get away from the hustle-and-bustle of their day-to-day lives and prefer to do so in the sunniest, sandiest destination available. You’ll find them flopped out by the ocean in Cancun, nursing a mystery novel and a sunburn.  

What to get them: A dry case for their iPhone so they can transition from beach bum to underwater photographer without having to bring their belongings back to the hotel room.

9. The cultural traveller.

This traveller isn’t interested in replicating their home environment when they travel: They want to experience other ways of life, as authentically as possible. This type usually travels slowly, immerses themselves into foreign communities and has regular nightmares about being mistaken for a tourist. You probably won’t find them on your travels, because they’re busy milking a cow at their homestay.

What to get them: Rosetta Stone programs to help them master the local language before their next trip. 

10. The traveller-on-hiatus.

This person lives, sleeps and breathes for travel – but they are currently on lockdown at home. Whether it’s finances, responsibilities or relationships that are keeping them stuck, you know that they are merely counting down the days until they can get back on the road. You’ll find this type endlessly searching sky scanner and sifting through photos of their past travels nostalgically.   

What to get them: A scratch map of the world so they can show off where they’ve been while planning the next adventure. But let’s be serious – there’s only one thing this traveller really wants, and that’s a plane ticket for their next trip.