A day-tripper is a person who visits a tourist destination or visitor attraction from his/her home and returns home on the same day.
Such an excursion does not involve a night away from home such as experienced on a holiday. The day trip or daycation is a popular form of recreation and leisure for families who care for young children or people who are too frail to travel easily or who own pets, or for whom the logistics or cost of a night away from home may be prohibitive.
History
In Medieval days a destination for such days out would be religious (to a nearby shrine) or commercial, for example to a seasonal fair. Later, in England, visits to stately homes by those who regarded themselves middle class became frequent and it was the tradition to reward the butler or housekeeper with a tip for providing access to their employers' home. As such homes were meant for show it is unlikely that the owning family would object, provided they were not in residence at the time.
The arrival of the railway excursion, often using Day Tripper tickets, in the mid 19th century saw the blossoming of a distinctive day-tripper industry. Trippers also travelled in their thousands by paddlesteamer or steamship to the many piers around Victorian era seaside resorts. The General Slocum excursion was an example.
Cycling became a very popular day-tripper activity, especially amongst urban and suburban workers from the mid-1880s onwards.
Coach and charabanc outings followed as the internal combustion engine became reliable enough to get the paying customers out and back again. Works outings and church or chapel excursions were extremely popular until the 1970s.
While all of the foregoing still exist, the modern day-tripper experience is usually by motor car as a result of the growth of car ownership. Also, airlines such as Palmair promote day trips.