backpacking and youth travel article

8/13/2019 Backpacking and Youth Travel Article

1/30

Backpacking and Youth Travel

Greg Richards and Brian King

Pre-publication version of Richards, G. and King, B. (2003) International

Youth Travel. Travel and Tourism Analyst, no. 6, December.

SUMMARY

Based on WTO estimates youth travel now accounts for between 20 and 25%

of all international tourist trips. The market is growing, though with falling birth

rates in much of the developed world, this is not as a result of demographic

change. Growth has been prompted by increased participation levels in

tertiary education, labour mobility and overseas study programmes, the

emergence of backpacking as an element of global youth culture and

changing concepts of youth fullness. The blurring of distinctions between

work, study and travel are leading to a hybridisation of youth travel motives.

The cultural aspects of youth travel and backpacking including the desire to

mix with other like-minded people is an aspect of the market that merits

particular attention by destinations interested in this market.


2/30

Youth Travel and Backpacking

Introduction

Over recent decades the youth tourism market has been a major growth

segment within international tourism. According to World Tourism

Organisation (WTO) estimates, the proportion of all international tourism trips

undertaken by young travellers grew from 14.6% in 1980 to 20% in 2001 and

the share is forecast to reach 25% by 2005. Market growth has been

accompanied by increasing professionalisation of the various organisationswhich offer products and services to youth travellers and by the emergence of

specific market sub-sectors such as backpackers. Governments have shown

an increasing interest in youth tourism prompting a more favourable

environment for growth. This report reviews recent developments in the youth

tourism and backpacking markets, based on recent statistical data and

industry reports.

Background and definitions

As indicated in previous Travel and Tourism Analyst(TTA) reports (No 3,

1993 and No 5, 1998) definitional challenges bedevil the youth travel market.

With changing lifestyles and increasing longevity, middle age has shifted

from those in their 30s to those in their 40s and even their 50s.

Accompanying this shift in what it means to be middle aged, youth has

extended from those in their early 20s to those in their mid 30s. This is

symptomatic of an increasing community view that chronological age matters

less than perceived age as summarised in the adage you are as young as

you feel. Such changes within the wider society make it increasingly difficult

to apply a consistent and definitive upper age limit on youth travel. In the case

of student travel the expansion of mature students within the education

system has extended the age range accounted for this category. The lower

age limit has also become more flexible, as teenagers mature more quickly


3/30

3

and show eagerness to embark on holidays independent of their families at

the earliest available opportunity.

The literature on youth tourism and the statistics provided by international

bodies such as the WTO tend to define youth tourists as those aged between

15 and 29. However a recent WTO study of outbound youth tourism from

France, Germany and the UK, applied a cut-off point of less than 25 years.

Many smaller scale studies examining the youth tourism phenomenon

continue to adopt the upper age limit of 26, thereby perpetuating the long

established assumption that those over the age of 26 are less likely to be

students, more likely to be in employment and experiencing different financial

and other constraints than those aged less than 26. In the past this approach

has provided some coherence for the group but increasingly it fails to take

proper account of changes which are occurring.

The backpacking phenomenon has been a major growth area within the youth

tourism market. The term backpacker has entered the global jargon in non-

English as well as in English-speaking countries. Progressively it has been

replacing the established though linguistically specific designations routards

(in France and in French speaking countries) or morchillos (in Spain and in

Spanish speaking countries). Some estimates suggest that backpackers

now account for 10% of all European tourism. From a marketing perspective

the significant overlap with youth tourism limits the value of such prescriptive

age limits.

Defining the term backpacker is no easier thandefining the term youth

tourism. Many backpacking studies derive their chosen definition from an

Australian study conducted by Philip Pearce in 1990. This study characterised

backpackers as having:

a preference for budget accommodation

an emphasis on meeting other travellers

an independently organised and flexible travel schedule


4/30

4

longer rather than very brief holidays

an emphasis on informal and participatory holiday activities.

Since the criteria are fairly vague, this definition has proved hard tooperationalise even though Pearces work is widely cited. What precisely

constitutes a longer holiday and what precisely is meant by informal holiday

activities? For reasons of practicality most studies of backpacking have

focussed on the type of accommodation used. According to this rationale,

those using backpacker hostels or other budget accommodation are classified

as backpackers, whether or not they identify themselves with the label. In

defining the term backpacking, age is not usually considered to be an

important factor nor is carrying a rucksack or backpack. Backpacking has

evolved from its origins as a marginal travel activity practiced by loners in

places off the beaten track into a defined sector of the mass tourism industry.

Many of the original backpackers who were active travellers in the 1960s and

1970s have continued to backpack as they have grown older, thereby

extending the age range of backpackers into the 60s or even the 70s bracket.

This development has posed a challenge to the previously prevailing

orthodoxy that backpacking and youth tourism are synonymous. Nevertheless

the overwhelming majority of backpackers may still be classified as youth

tourists.

One way of overcoming the definitional problem is to use the expression free

independent travellers to describe young tourists.This apparently inclusive

approach however excludes those who opt to travel in groups and/or on

package tours. Package tours specifically targeted at a youth audience (eg

those aged 1830) remain prominent in many European markets and it is

important that this group of travellers is not overlooked. In the case of the

Korean market, the distinction between individual and group youth travel has

become blurred. So called backpacker groups may travel together at the early

stage of a trip, then separate to gain some more individualised experience

before finally coming together again with a view to recounting their

experiences and completing the trip along with the original participants.


5/30

5

Data sources and reliability

Reliable data on the youth tourism and backpacking markets has been

constrained by the prevailing definitional confusion. Other features compound

the definitional problem. Until quite recently youth tourists (and particularly

backpackers) were viewed with suspicion or downright hostility by many

governments and national tourist offices. Such authorities have often viewed

young tourists as undesirable hippies to be discouraged at all costs. These

attitudes have discouraged the collection of accurate statistics on the volume

or value of youth tourism, thereby prolonging the widely held view that youth

tourists are low value tourists bringing little benefit to the destination. Guam is

frequently cited as a destination which deliberately discouraged backpackers.

In Europe prior to the fall of communism, the Albanian authorities would not

admit any tourists with beards, symptomatic of the prevailing view that

backpackers were synonymous with hippies and subversives.

As governments around the world have been alerted to the potential

economic advantages of promoting youth tourism, such negative attitudes

have begun to change. Arguments in favour of encouraging market

development have included the rapid growth of demand, the practice amongst

young travellers of visiting more remote locations, their willingness to travel

out of season and their apparent indifference to terrorism, disease and other

potential dangers that might dissuade other tourists. Many destinations are

now beginning to promote youth tourists and backpacking, and a number of

countries have developed specific youth tourism or backpacking policies.

The Australian Government released in its National Backpacker Tourism

Strategy in 1995 and has actively promoted to this market through the

activities of the Australian Tourist Commission. The term backpacker has

become the accepted terminology in Australia and a wide range of research

studies have been undertaken, some measuring the economic contribution of


6/30

6

the sector which has been estimated at AU$1.5 billion, based on research by

the Bureau of Tourism Research.

In almost all countries reliable statistics on youth tourism and backpacking are

still relatively rare. In spite of growing interest in the market by governments,

many earlier studies have relied upon extracts from larger national surveys, or

else extrapolations from WTO data. Such studies provide a broad measure of

the scale of youth tourism, but tell us little about young travellers

themselves; their motivations, behaviour, expenditures or impacts on the

destination. These gaps are now being filled by increasing numbers of

customised studies on youth tourism and backpacking. In New Zealand a

specific qualitative study of backpacker behaviours, motivations and

preferences was recently undertaken by Tourism New Zealand. In Scotland

studies on backpacker accommodation have been used as the basis for

estimating the size and significance of the market. In Australia backpacker

accommodation is now identified as a discrete category in the main

international tourist surveys.

Until recently and as noted in previous Travel and Tourism Analystreports,

there have been no specific studies of youth travel or backpacking that offer a

genuinely global coverage. The present report draws upon the first global

study of its kind, the Young Independent Traveller Survey, conducted in 2002

by the International Student Travel Confederation (ISTC) and Association of

Leisure and Tourism Education (ATLAS). This study is not a comprehensive

evaluation of supply and demand globally but it does provide valuable insights

into current trends and in particular examines the distinction between tourists,

travellers and backpackers as perceived by respondents.

The scale and dimensions of the backpacking phenomenon

The growing interest in youth travel by the tourism industry and by academic

researchers is indicative of the emergence of travel as a component of global

youth culture. Youth tourism is of interest to international organisations suchas The United Nations Economic and Social Commission (UNESCO) because


7/30

7

it has the potential to raise cultural awareness among young people and to

assist peace and cultural understanding. The fact that backpacking is in is

also underlined by the proliferation of books on backpacking such as Alex

Garlands The Beachand Emily Barrs Backpack. By being exposed to such

books young people may be stimulated to travel as backpackers, or else to

opt for a style of travel that sets them apart from other travellers.

As was discussed in the most recent Travel and Tourism Analystreport on the

Youth Travel Market (No 5, 1998), there is a close link between study and

youth travel. The ERASMUS, LEONARDO and SOCRATES educational

programmes, which operate under the auspices of the European Commission

have stimulated hundreds of thousands of students to undertake extended

periods of study abroad. Between 1995 and 1999 500,000 students travelled

for higher education exchanges under the SOCRATES scheme alone. A

further 115,000 participated in the LEONARDO scheme which is focussed on

vocational education. Though less developed than their European,

equivalents, exchange schemes also operate in other parts of the world. One

example is the Universities Mobility in the Asia-Pacific Region (UMAP)

program which links Australian institutions and their students with

counterparts across the wider Asia-Pacific Region.

Young people are also engaging increasingly in working tourism, seeking

temporary employment in other countries to finance their travel or to allow

them to live abroad for an extended period. This trend has been stimulated by

labour shortages in many countries. Some countries experiencing labour

shortages have instituted working visa schemes to encourage young people

to take up temporary work, particularly in sectors where high labour turnover

is prevalent, such as in the hotel and catering industry. A study carried out by

ATLAS for the European Vocational Education agency (CEDEFOP) identified

a high level of international labour mobility in the tourism and hospitality

sectors, with young people accounting for most of this mobility. Some

governments have established schemes to attract young workers from

abroad. In 1997 it was estimated that Irelandshotel and catering industrywould need 105,000 new workers over the ensuing five years. In view of the


8/30

8

domestic labour shortage, the Irish Government promoted work opportunities

at recruitment fairs in the Netherlands,Germany, Britain, France, the USA and

Canada. This has led to a rapid increase in the proportion of staff from

overseas, with 80% of hospitality businesses in Dublin now employing

workers from abroad, most of them young.

There has also been an increase in the number of people participating in

working visa schemes. Australia issued 78,000 working visas to visitors in

2000. Of all backpackers entering Australia, it is estimated that about half

intend to work during the course of their visit. The Australian Government has

developed a Web-site to provide information and advice for international

travellers interested in participating in fruit harvesting and other agricultural

pursuits during their travels. The site provides guidance on the different

picking seasons which apply in different parts of the continent.

Youth traveller profiles

An email-response survey of young travellers from eight different countries in

Europe, North America, Africa and Asia was carried out in 2002 by ISTC and

ATLAS. The survey generated 2,300 responses and provided a detailed

picture of the profile, motivations, activities and expenditure of youth tourists

across the world. It was found that most of the respondents were students,

which was not surprising given that the respondents were drawn from lists

provided by student travel companies affiliated to ISTC. As indicated in Table

1 the age profile of the respondents was skewed towards the younger end

with over 60% aged between 20 and 25 and only 5% aged over 30. The age

distinction means that this study is not strictly comparable with some other

backpacker research, though it has the distinct advantage of genuine global

coverage.

An important identity issue for young travellers is the extent to which they

consider themselves travellers as opposed to backpackers or tourists.

Over half of the sample identified themselves as travellers, compared withalmost a third who opted for backpackers. By contrast fewer than 20%


9/30

9

considered themselves to be tourists. The identification as travellers was so

strong among some respondents that they listed this as their occupation! The

fact that students and youth travellers appear to reject the label tourist is

perhaps not surprising, but is indicative of a different culture and style of travel

prevalent amongst younger age groups. Whilst other market segments within

the wider tourism sector undoubtedly involve a cultural dimension, cultural

considerations associated with the market are critical for any destination

considering the development of youth tourism.

Although income levels varied considerably by country of origin, half of the

respondents had an annual income of US$5,000 or less. This is reflective of

the relatively low incomes of students and the constraints upon the travel

styles of this group. The practice of working at destinations as part of a longer

trip (eg fruit picking), provides many travellers with additional income to spend

on travel-related activities, although in the case of destinations such as

Australia, most of the travel expenditure will be undertaken within the country

that it is earned. Findings from a recent ATLAS/ISTC survey of young

travellers on working holidays in North America and Europe indicate that

respondents expect to earn 80% of the total cost of their trip by working.

Destinations

In the study, respondents indicated the destinations that they had visited

during the course of their entire travel career, as well as the destinations

visited during their most recent major trip. On average, respondents had

made six trips outside their region of residence, with the number of trips

increasing with age. Those aged under 20 had taken five trips on average,

compared with eight trips for those over 30. Those identifying themselves as

backpackers also had more extensive travel experience than either travellers

or tourists. The choice of destination varied on the basis of country of

permanent residence. Respondents travelled within their own world region

more frequently than to other regions, consistent with the travel market as a

whole. The pattern of destination selection was also reflective of the widerdistribution of global tourism. Europe had been visited by over 50% of


10/30

10

respondents, North America by almost 50% and other world regions by less

than 20%.

As their travel experience increases, respondents travel increasingly further

afield. The average visitor to Northern Europe has made only five major trips,

compared with over 10 trips in the case of those visiting India. Some

differentiation is evident between destinations in terms of traveller types.

South East Asia, South America and Australia and New Zealand were

dominated by backpackers, whereas travellers outnumbered backpackers in

North America. This pattern may occur because travellers are socialised into

a particular group during their travels. It is likely that those visiting established

backpacker centres such as Bangkok or Sydney will encounter the term

backpacker more frequentlythan those elsewhere and may become more

familiar with this term as a self-identification.

Trip characteristics

The survey findings confirm the tendency of young travellers to take longer

trips. The average duration was over 60 days, albeit with most trips being

shorter than this. Trip length may be associated with factors such as

occupation and income. It also differs between travellers and backpackers

the latter travelling longer on average. No significant difference between

length of trip was evident on the basis of age. Depending on their origin

country, travellers appear to experience different constraints on their travel

activity at different ages. This resulted in a fairly even pattern of trip length for

survey respondents as a whole.

Young travellers appear to consult a wide range of information sources prior

to their departure. As highlighted in Table 2, the Internet is the main source of

information, outstripping advice from family and friends. The lower incidence

of advice from family and friends differs from the findings of most other

studies investigating the sources of information used by travellers. Internet

use is however likely to be higher than average among the sample in view ofthe survey method (email). The use of information sources varies little as


11/30

11

travellers become more experienced with the exception of guidebooks. Guide

books were used by only 30% of those who had taken three trips or less

compared with 50% of those who had taken 10 trips or more. This difference

became even more marked during the trip, with 60% of the most experienced

travellers taking a guidebook along with them. The image of the Lonely Planet

as the backpacker biblewas also supported by the survey. Lonely Planet

was the most frequently used guidebook generally and backpackers were far

more likely to use it than other travellers. Backpackers were also more likely

to gather information from accommodation providers and from fellow

travellers.

As indicated in Figure 1 most respondents used travel agents to book their air

travel. Backpackers were more likely than other respondents to go to

specialist travel agents. Very few booked their accommodation or surface

travel in advance, particularly in the case of backpackers. In spite of the

growth of specialist providers offering at least one nights accommodation as

an add-on to flights, most respondents appear to be happy to arrive at the

destination and organise things themselves. More experienced travellers in

particular were less likely to book in advance. This finding appears to be

consistent with the view of backpackers as youth tourists seeking the

adventure of uncertainty. The search for uncertainty extends even to the issue

of where exactly they will stay overnight.

Motivations and activities

Recent research for the World Tourism Organization undertaken in the

outbound markets of France, Germany and the UK indicates that the most

popular types of holidays for youth traveller as a whole are sun and beach,

city breaks and touring holidays (Figure 2). In general terms, therefore, the

types of holidays taken by youth travellers differ little from those favoured by

the travel market more generally.


12/30

12

The more detailed analyses of long trips undertaken in the ATLAS/ISTC

survey, however, reveal a more varied pattern of motives for youth travel. As

indicated in Figure 3, exploration, excitement and relaxation are the primary

motivations for youth travellers. Some travellers are highly oriented towards

experiencing as many things as possible during their trip whereas relaxation is

the main motive for others. A relatively high proportion are visiting friends and

relatives. A small proportion are travelling for altruistic motives, such as

contributing something to the places they visit. For most respondents, trips

combine at least two different motives, notably relaxation and excitement or

lazing on the beach and cultural encounters. This hybridity of behaviour

creates challenges for those providing services for backpackers and/or youth

travellers.

Perhaps surprisingly there was relatively little difference in motivation between

travellers in terms of length of stay. Motivations also varied little with

increasing travel experience, perhaps reflective of a relatively stable set of

basic travel motives. It is plausible that motivations may differ more widely

between different trips taken by the same individual, though it was not

possible to measure this in the current survey. Stronger differentiation was

evident in terms of activities. Examples include travel experience, length of

stay and types of traveller. Backpackers tended to do more of everything,

whereas tourists were the least active. This characteristic may be indicative

that backpackers feel the need to have diverse experiences if they are to be

able to justify their trips. As travel experience increased, so did the number of

activities undertaken. This may indicate an increasing need to justify the travel

experience as the number of trips taken increases.

Though many travellers may be viewed as searching for experiences, the

range of experiences actually undertaken is less exciting. Whilst cultural visits

were cited as the most important activity, sitting in cafes and shopping also

featured high on the list. This reflects observations made in backpacker

precinctsthat many travellers spend a lot of their time relaxing and doing

nothing. Respondents however may not feel that doing nothing is adesirable or acceptable answer whenresponding to a travel survey.


13/30

13

One positive finding from the survey for the youth and student travel industry

is that travelling appears to generate a thirst for more travel. Once people

start travelling it appears that they are reluctant to stop, a finding that bodes

well for the future growth of demand within the youth travel segment.

Culture plays an important role in the satisfaction that people gain from

travelling. Those with more travel experience, in particular, gained more

appreciation of other cultures and were more likely to be motivated by the

prospect of interactions with local people. More experienced travellers were,

however, less likely to be trying to find themselves, which may indicate that

a less self-centered attitude develops as people travel more.

Expenditures and economic contribution

The recent WTO study of youth travel indicated that the average total spend

was around 600 Euro for outbound travel from France and Germany and 1000

Euro for trips from the UK. However, this study was based on an average of

all trips, with an average stay of just over one week.Over half of the

ISTC/ATLAS sample estimated their spend to be less than US$20 a day over

a trip lasting several weeks (Table 5), compared with 60-100 Euro a day for

the shorter trips in the WTO study.

For the main trips covered in the ISTC/ATLAS study, the average total spend

in the destination was at least $1,200. Total spend on these trips by the

survey respondents including air transport was over US$1,800. The average

backpacker spends a total of almost US$2,200 higher than either travellers

(US$1,800) or tourists (US$1,470). Spend is directly related to income, with

those on incomes of over US$20,000 a year spending almost twice as much

on average as those earning less than US$5,000. Travellers and those with

a longer average trip length were significantly more likely to be earning

income during the course of their trip. Expenditure is also heavily influenced

by the destinations visited. As indicated in Table 4, the average total spend for

a trip to Australia, including travel, was over US$4,600, whereas the averagevisitor to Thailand spent US$2,200 and the average spend for Turkey was


14/30

14

US$700. Since they often spend directly on services provided by local

businesses, young travellers also make an important contribution to the

economy of the destination that they are visiting.

The widely held view that hardened backpackers tend to be more careful

with their money was also contradicted by some evidence, albeit of an indirect

kind. Backpackers with more travel experience spend more per day on

average than relatively inexperienced backpackers. This may occur because

they are older and have higher incomes, and may support the idea that those

who visit countries as relatively poor backpackers, return subsequently as

wealthier travellers and spend more money. This view was supported by the

incidence of significantly different spending patterns between over and under

26 year olds. It is also consistent with the view of the Australian Government

that the backpacker segment is relatively affluent and free spending.

Visitors to Australia and New Zealand, Central / South Africa and South

America had the highest total spend, reflective of the higher air fares to these

longer haul destinations from key source markets. Those visiting Europe and

the Mediterranean regions (mainly Europeans) recorded the lowest

expenditures. In terms of daily spend, however, North Africa has the highest

percentage of those spending under US$ 20 per day a figure which may be

skewed by those on package holidays. The Indian sub-continent and Eastern

Europe had the next largest proportions of respondents spending under US$

20 per day. The regions with the largest proportions of higher spending

respondents were North America, Northern Europe, China / Japan and

Australasia. Differences in daily spend by region were only significant for

stays of less than 30 days. This indicates that young travellers tend to budget

more carefully in the case of longer trips in order to maximise their length of

stay.

Youth Tourism and the Travel Trade


15/30

15

As is indicated in Table 5, the most popular choice of accommodation for

youth travellers is friends and relatives. Backpacker hostels are an important

category (33%), but perhaps surprisingly, hotels follow close behind (31%). It

is likely that many extended trips include a combination of accommodation at

the homes of friends and relatives, at backpacker hostels and at hotels. This

would indicate that operators intending to target the youth tourism market may

need to adopt a diversified distribution strategy in recognition of the use of a

wide variety of accommodation types.

One of the major impacts of the youth tourism explosion has been the

expansion of the specialist youth tourism industry, and in particular the

increasing number of suppliers targeting the backpacker market. This growth

has been accompanied by a growing professionalisation of the sector, and by

the appearance of an increasing number of private sector companies

alongside the original not-for-profit associations that created the market. One

of the apparent contradictions that has arisen from these development is the

industrialisation of a style of travel which had traditionally prided itself on

avoiding the travel industry. This was the original philosophy of the various

guide books aimed at independent travellers such as Lonely Planet. By giving

people the information that would allow them to travel independently to the

remotest destinations, backpackers were essentially freed from their previous

reliance on package holidays and from other products of the commercial,

mass tourism industry. However, the increasing popularity of such guides, and

the emergence of Lonely Planet as the backpacker bible has made

backpacker travel become as predictable as many package holidays. Turning

up in the remotest village, backpackers are greeted by the sight of fellow

travellers reading the same guidebooks and trying to bargain with the same

guesthouse operators to achieve the same out-of-date prices as themselves.

Whilst some critics rail against the standardisation that has resulted from the

ubiquity of guide books and the emergence of packaged backpacker products

such as Oz Experience or Backpackers World, the growth of the backpacker

travel industry has made the business of independent travel much easier andin some cases cheaper than was previously the case. In these


16/30

16

circumstances, it is hardly surprising that large numbers of independent

travellers opt to package at least one component of their trip. Recent figures

indicate that around 20% of young backpackers opt to buy a fly-bus package

during their stay. This market is dominated by a few companies, notably

Greyhound and McCaffertys, though Oz Experience recently appears to have

made some headway (see Figure 4).

Access to specific backpacker products is also being provided through a

growing range of Internet sites. Data from Australia indicate that the major

sites consulted by backpackers include Lonely Planet, the Youth Hostels

Association (YHA), STA Travel, Oz Experience, Greyhound and TNT

magazine. The YHA site in particular became more popular in 2003, probably

because of an increasing trend towards booking accommodation in

preparation for arrival at the destination. Lonely Planet has devoted

substantial resources to the development of its Thorn Tree web presence

which encourages travellers to provide up-to-the-minute personal insights into

destinations for the benefit of other travellers.

Case studies

Backpacker Enclaves in Thailand

Youth tourism, and particularly backpacker tourism, has developed rapidly in

Thailand over the past 20 years. One of the most visible impacts of this

development has been the growth of backpacker enclaves, including the

famous Khao San Road area of Bangkok and a host of smaller backpacker

centres in rural areas and on some popular islands. The development of Khao

San Road started in 1982, when many young travellers were attracted to the

commemorations of Bangkoks bicentennial, including the spectacular

festivities staged near the Grand Palace in the centre of Bangkok. Unwilling to

pay for expensive hotel rooms, young budget travellers found rooms with local

residents in the Khao San Road area, who welcomed the additional income.

The realisation that good profits could be made from the guest house


17/30

17

business caused a boom in accommodation outlets, followed rapidly by

restaurants and souvenir shops.

Today some 2,000 shops and street stalls line the 300-metre long road

attempting to capture a share of the trade of more than 2,000 visitors strolling

the street each day, particularly at night. Although the Khao San Road has

become more popular as a nightime hangout for local Thai youths, in recent

years foreign travellers still make up over 60 per cent of the crowds. The

annual turnover of the entertainment, shopping and food businesses in the

area is now more than Bt 6 billion (US$150 million). Property values in the

area have skyrocketed and are now some of the most expensive in Bangkok.

A 400-square-metre plot now fetches Bt 25 million (US$26,000).

Tourists also crowd the dozens of Khao san travel agencies to buy air tickets

to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, other important stops on the South East

Asia backpacker trail. Many return from these less developed destinations to

rest, recuperate and replenish supplies before venturing out again. The

average stay of tourists in the Khao San area is only 2-3 nights, but there are

also a significant number of longer term visitors. Whereas most backpackers

used to be predominantly European or Australian, these have recently been

followed by the Japanese, Koreans, Taiwanese and Hong Kong citizens.

A stope in the Khao San Road is often followed by a trip to one of the rural

enclaves in the north of Thailand or the islands. One of the most popular

stopovers is Phangan Island. This destination has become famous for its Full-

Moon parties or raves, which attract up to 3000 visitors a month. Such large

concentrations of young travellers bring significant benefits for the local

economy but can also generate problems. Drug use features prominently in

the Full-Moon parties and party-goers are regularly admitted to hospital.

Working Holidays in Australia

As noted earlier, Australia now attracts significant numbers of young travellers

as working holidaymakers;. These may be young people on working visas,


18/30

18

which permit them to work for a maximum of three months for any one

employer, or they may be international students who are allowed to

supplement their income by working a maximum of 20 hours a week. The

number of working holidaymaker visas issued rose from 35,000 in 1995 to

over 85,000 in 2001. Research by UniTravel/TNT indicates that over 50% of

backpackers in Australia were travelling on working holiday visas in 2003.

Studies of these working holidaymakers indicate that the majority are from the

UK (51%) or other EU countries, with the biggest age category being 22-25

(48%). The most common form of employment amongst these visitors is

hospitality or bar work (17%) and fruit picking (16%). The fruit picking

activities in particular are beginning to be organised into a specific backpacker

tourism product, as fruit growing regions try and attract visitors with a view to

addressing labour shortages. The Australian Government now promotes the

harvesttrails as backpacker attractions, allowing working holidaymakers to

follow the seasonal succession of crops across Australia. A study of the

Harvey Bay area in Queensland undertaken by Malcolm Cooper and others

indicated that about 120,000 backpackers stay in the region each year,

around 40% of whom had worked in Australia. Over half of these had worked

in agriculture.

There are some signs, however, that the weakening economic situation in

rural Australia is making it harder for working holidaymakers to find

employment. In August 2003, over 40% of backpackers were still looking for

work, compared with only 33% in August 2002. This is potentially worrying for


19/30

19

the Australian backpacker industry, since although working holiday visas only

account for 20% of all backpacker arrivals, they comprise about 60% of total

backpacker bed nights.

Hostels in Europe

The growing commercialisation and professionalisation of the youth travel

industry is exemplified by the development of collaborative marketing

consortia among hostels and other youth accommodation providers. While

such initiatives have been common in Australasia, the trend has only recently

taken off in Europe.

One of the major problems limiting the development of youth tourism and

particularly backpacker tourism in Europe has been the shortage of budget

accommodation, particularly in the centre of major cities. In developing

destinations such as Thailand, and in expansive sparsely populateddestinations such as Australia, a wide range of backpacker hostels are in

operation. In Europe, the high price of land in urban areas has constrained

such development. This is now changing as major accommodation providers

and individual operators realise that high-density and budget accommodation

offering the prospect of high occupancy levels can be profitable even in city-

centre locations. Significant investments are being made in backpacker

accommodation which incorporates the latest technology, security systemsand entertainment. Some major international hotel groups view the

backpacker market as a worthwhile target. One such example is Accor Asia-

Pacific which has established a backpacker brand in Australia to sit alongside

its various hotel properties.

New hostels are now opening rapidly across Europe, taking advantage of the

growth in youth tourism. Groups such as Hostels of Europe and Europes

Famous Hostels now provide centralised websites and booking systems for


20/30

20

their members. They are also developing discount cards similar to those

offered by hostel groups in Australia. The Hostels of Europe group now claims

to have over 400 affiliated hostels, while the more exclusive Famous Hostels

group has 11 members in 8 countries, which the group claims are absolute

trendsetters in their area; (www.famoushostels.net).

There are also new commercial hostel chains being formed in Europe. Since

1996 the Saint Christophers Inns network has been developed in Europe

targeting the backpacker market. The aim of the group is to provide centrally-

located accommodation with a good price-quality ratio, adapted to the needs

of the youth tourism market. The hostels provide rooms of different sizes

(between 2 and 10 beds per room) at between 12 and 25 Euro per person

per night including breakfast. Each hostel has a cyber cafe, travel booking

facilities, meeting rooms, laundries and organised excursions. There is

provision for 24 hour access which is unlike the situation in many traditional

hostels. The 10 UK properties are located in the centre of major tourist cities

such as London, Edinburgh, Bath and Brighton, and there is another property

at the surfer centre of Newquay. Research among the clients of Saint

Christopher indicate that their main selection criteria are: cleanliness, security,

price, location and service. The group is part of the Interpub and has

ambitious expansion plans for the brand across Europe, with properties due to

open by 2005 in Paris, Nice, Amsterdam, Madrid and Rome.

The future of youth and backpacker tourism

The market as a whole has grown rapidly in recent decades and is likely to

continue to do so, particularly as educational participation rates increase

amongst high school leavers and the number of students rises across the

globe. This growth has confounded the widespread fear that youth travel

would be hit by a downturn in the number of people in the 16-25 age group. In

fact, young people appear to be travelling more frequently and more widely

than they did previously, stimulated by a range of factors including curiosity, a

desire for experience, a delay of adulthood and rising incomes.
http://www.famoushostels.net/http://www.famoushostels.net/http://www.famoushostels.net/http://www.famoushostels.net/


21/30

21

It is against this optimistic background that the youth tourism industry and the

backpacker industry in particular has experienced rapid expansion. As

commercialisation and professionalisation of the industry increases, demand

will be stimulated by an increase in the supply of budget accommodation, by

the activities of budget airlines and by the availability of cheap youth travel

packages. Increasing government support for youth tourism development in

some markets is also likely to be important. In major backpacking centres

such as Australia and New Zealand, Governments are actively involved in

providing formal encouragement. There are however signs that not every

destination is convinced about the benefits of youth tourism. Anti-backpacker

attitudes and policies are still evident in some developing destinations, such

as the state of Kerala in India.

The Internet is likely to be crucial to the future of youth tourism, with young

travellers already using the Internet as their major formal information channel.

Future generations are likely to be even more Internet-able and will be less

resistant to making bookings online. The increasing prevalence of WAP

systems which allow increased data storage on mobile phones will generate a

range of possible new uses. Destination based products may be able to

communicate with backpackers who are in the vicinity, thereby generating

increasing interest within the travel trade to communicate directly and

electronically with this target audience during the course of the trip. The idea

of global mobility is likely to take increasing hold as an aspect of youth culture.

Whilst face-to-face socialising remains a central component of the youth travel

and backpacking experience, the Internet and email access is also allowing

travellers to be part of a communications network linking them with friends,

family and fellow travellers.

Though global mobility is likely to remain predominantly the preserve of

youths in the developed world, infrastructural development and transport

deregulation in the developing countries are likely to see the emergence of a

youth travel culture. As has been mentioned in this report, Thailand is an

established destination for Western backpackers. However younger membersof the Thai middle classes are embracing the idea of travel. In due course this


22/30

22

pattern will be repeated in countries such as China and India with their vast

populations, creating great opportunities as well as enormous management

challenges for the travel trade.

The authors are Dr Greg Richard, a consultant at Interarts in Barcelona, Spain

and Professor Brian King, Head of School of Hospitality, Tourism and

Marketing at Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia


23/30

Figure 1

Backpacker and Youth Traveller Motivations

Explore other cultures 4.39

Excitement 4.18

Increase my knowledge 3.99

Relax mentally 3.85

Have a good time with friends 3.73

Interact with local people 3.71

Challenge my abilities 3.67Build friendships with others 3.58

Visit Friends and Relatives 3.43

Use my imagination 3.43

Avoid hustle and bustle 3.42

Find myself 3.32

Relax physically 3.29

Develop close friendships 3.19Associate with other travellers 3.14

Be in a calm atmosphere 3.00

Use my physical abilities/skills 2.97

Gain a feeling of belonging 2.93

Contribute something to the places I visit 2.74

Note figures are on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest

Source: ISTC/ATLAS Survey


24/30

24

Table 1

Respondent Ages

Age Group % respondents

Under 20 12.820 - 22 30.3

23 - 25 33.8

26 - 30 18.0

Over 30 5.2



25/30

25

Table 2

Duration of Trip

Length of Trip Mean

0 -14 days 1.5

15 - 30 days 2.0

31 - 60 days 2.3

61 - 90 days 2.4

91 - 120 days 2.2

121 - 180 days 2.3Over 180 days 2.3

Total 2.0



26/30

26

Table 3

Sources of information prior to departure

%

Internet 71.2Information source family, friends 70.9

Guidebooks 37.3

Travel agency 34.9

Previous visit 28.6

Newspaper/magazine 23.0

Tour operator brochure 12.2

Tourist board 11.6Airline 10.4

TV/radio 10.4

Trade shows 1.5

Note: Multiple responses are permissible



27/30


28/30

28

Table 5

Travel Expenditures

Daily destination expenditure (US$) %

5 -10 22.25

11 - 20 32.50

21 - 30 21.31

31 - 40 11.01

41 - 50 7.30

Over 50 5.64



29/30

29

Table 6

Region Visited

Expenditure

per trip ($US)

Trip duration

(days)

Northern Europe 1,673 64

Southern Europe 1,358 39

Eastern Europe 671 29

North Africa 828 36

Central and Southern Africa 3,484 47

Middle East 1,475 64North America 2,328 89

Central America 1,982 58

South America 2,672 63

Australia and New Zealand 4,401 128

South East Asia 2,187 64

Indian Sub-Continent 1,959 84

China and Japan 1,900 79Total 1,864 64



30/30

Table 7

Type of Accommodation

%

Friends and relatives 41.4

Backpacker hostel 32.6

Hotel 30.8

Youth hostel 21.4

Independent guest house 15.3

Bed and Breakfast 14.8

Camping 12.5Self catering 8.2

Campervan 1.3


backpacking and youth travel article

Documents