2 Literature review
2.1 Backpacker and backpacking
2.1.1 definition and characteristic
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2.1.1 Definition and Characteristic
In the history, traveling form that resembles backpacking the most can date back to the 17th to 18th centuries, when traveling made by the noble youth was seen as “Grand Tour” for the purpose of education. As movement of people, objects, capital,
information and cultures across an increasingly globalised and apparently borderless world, there is more and more people prefer being “on the move” (Richards and Wilson, 2004). Gradually, a new form of travel is shaped, and Cohen (1972) is among the first ones who study this group of so-called “backpackers.” According to his typology of tourists, “drifter” is the prototype of the backpackers we perceive nowadays. In his later study (1973), he renamed these people as “nomad” based on their specific behaviors. What followed is Vogt’s (1976) observation and he named them “wanderer”, stressing their high mobility. Adler (1985) added further
characteristics, and call them “tramping youth”, which indicated the young age and behavioral pattern of these people. Focusing on another part, Riley (1988) found it more proper to call them “long-term budget traveler＂. Up until 1995, Loker-Murphy and Pearce officially gave the name “backpacker” in their study of this popular group of people in Australia. However, these travelers gradually become normalized and institutionalized through increased mobilities (Noy, 2007; O’Reilly, 2006; Sørensen, 2003), especially ones through the help of new communication technologies.
Currently, Hannam & Diekmann (2010) found a new emerging form—“flashpacker”, who are more affluent, with new technological developments, and have increased holidays and leisure time. What’s more, Cohen (2010) reconceptualised contemporary drifters as “lifestyle traveler”, who serves travel as a way of life that they may pursue indefinitely.
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Usually, backpacking takes place mostly as following modes: gap year travel, mini retirement, round the world travel, or volunteer abroad. And, their shared
characteristics presented in the literatures can be grouped in terms of different behaviors and motivations. Behaviors such as “long-haul, have no rigid plans (i.e.
flexible itinerary), and have a vague notion regarding their return (Cohen, 1972, 1973;
Riley, 1988; Vogt, 1976), low spending (Riley, 1988), have more opportunities than tourists to initiate direct encounters with the local population, traveling “off the beaten track” (Richards and Wilson, 2004), and rite-de-passage (Turner, 1987)”, can best describe them. And motivations can be illustrated with the statements, like “their quest for adventure, authenticity, and profound experiences; and their self-perception as travelers rather than tourists (Cohen 1972, 1973; Riley, 1988; Vogt 1976), a desire to escape ordinary, ‘normal’ (Urry, 2002) life, “departure” (Urry, 2002, p1), sensation seeking, interest in the culture of the host country, and interest in learning and
communicating with locals (Riley, 1988), and to be (or to feel) free, independent, and open-minded (Richards and Wilson, 2004). Uriely et al. (2002) concluded that the heterogeneous nature of backpacking leads us to “regard multi-type backpackers as ones who enjoy different types of experiences during her/his excursion”, emphasizing the active role of the human actor as a consumer of tourism and the diverse nature of contemporary touristic experiences. An integrated structure of the above discussion is illustrated in table 2-1 and table 2-2.
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Table 2-1: Definition and characteristic of backpacker (organized by the author)
Time Scholars Title Behaviors Motivations
17th ~ early 90’s
The Grand Tour travel as education
1970’s Cohen (1972) drifter flexible itinerary 1. quest for adventure, authenticity, and
experiences 2. self-perception as
traveler Cohen (1973) nomad
Vogt (1976) wanderer
1980’s Adler (1985) tramping youth 1. low spending 2. rite-de-passage 3. longer holidays
interest in learning and communication with
locals Riley (1988) long-term budget
traveler 1990’s Loker-Murphy
& Pearce (1995)
backpacker 1. emphasis on meeting other people 2. travel off the beaten
track
1. a desire to escape ordinary, normal life
2. departure 3. sensation seeking 4. interest in the host
culture
flashpacker affluent, with new technological gadgets
Cohen (2010) lifestyle traveler travel as a way of life
Sources: Cohen, 1972; Cohen, 1973; Vogt, 1976; Adler, 1985; Adler, 1989; Loker-Murphy & Pearce, 1995;
Hannam & Diekmann, 2010; Cohen, 2010
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Table 2-2: Research History of Backpacker
70’s late 80’s~early 90’s 1990’s Research
Focus
Emphasis on freedom and mobility; an often nostalgic search for meaningful cultural existence
Drifting(less marketing)
backpacking (overt marketing tool)
“Critical managerial approaches” are needed
Source: Hannam and Ateljevic, 2008
Richards and Wilson (2004) tried to evaluate the activities and impacts of current backpackers for its significance for the tourism market through organizing a
transnational research. The need for market research that reveals more heterogeneity and is context-specific is stressed. According to the survey of Association of Tourism and Leisure Education (ATLAS) Backpacker Research Group conducted in 2002, several issues of backpackers are examined, including traveler type (backpacker, traveler, and tourist), destinations visited, accommodation used, information sources, average daily spend, motivations (4 factors: experience seeking, relaxation seeking, sociability, contributing to destination), activities, benefits. This transnational survey was comprised of over 2300 responses, from 8 countries, 42 different nationalities. A summary is presented in table 2-3.
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Table 2-3: Motivations, Behaviors, and Attitudes of Backpackers Worldwide
Top 1 Top 2 Top 3
Visited destinations Vietnam Thailand India Accommodation
Use
Backpacker hostels
Youth hostels Friends and relatives Information sources Internet Family &
friends
Guide books
Average Daily Spend (USD)
$11-20 $5-10 $21-30
Motivation Explore the cultures
Experience excitement
Increase knowledge Activity Walking &
trekking
Benefits Thirst for more travel
Appreciation of other cultures/
More interest in learning about
A more creative way of traveling
most
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