Abstract: The purpose of the article is to describe the importance of psychology in tourism
practice. First of all, it is to understand the relationship between customers’ desire to visit a
particular destination, use available services, and customer needs and satisfaction. The relationship
between individual levels of human needs is at the forefront in the field of tourism. The
psychological and sociological development of people is very important in terms of the development
of tourism demand. Tourists’ behavior is formed within the framework of their needs and demands.
Tourists’ needs and demands may differ depending on their psychological and sociological state.
Despite all the benefits of psychology for tourism, in practice it is mainly used by large companies
or regional organizations. Entrepreneurs, who make up the majority of business entities in tourism,
prefer practical information and instructions. Institutions engaged in tourism (entrepreneurs,
agencies, state organizations, state bodies, non-profit organizations, etc.) tend to perceive tourism
only from an economic (profit maximization) or managerial (questions related to goal management)
point of view. They often ignore the social aspects of tourism, namely the way in which the choice of
travel creates a certain perception of the tourist, his personality, worldview, values, and image life.
They also tend to forget that tourism is a connection with other people, which leads to the risk of
conflict between tourists themselves, as well as between tourists and local residents. The study of
tourism psychology not only contributes to the development of the industry, which ultimately better
meets the needs of customers, but also allows you to avoid conflict situations in the industry.
Keywords: tourist, demand, motivation, behavior