Comparison of indicative characteristics

"Backpackers" and "Mass tourists"

Image 01 - Nature of backpacker

Image 02 - Nature of mass tourists

 

Characteristic	Backpackers	Mass Tourists
Age	Generally between 18-30 years old	Any age group, wide range.
Accommodation Used	Low Tariff. Hostels, Camping, Backpacker Hotels, Homes of friends and family.	High Tariff. Hotels etc., Self-Catering Apartments, All Inclusive Resorts.
Transport Used to get to Destination	Plane	Plane
Transport Used when in Destination	Public transport, e.g. local train and bus services	Private car, private coach.
Trip Duration	Longer than brief holiday, length varies greatly, from 1 month to 1 year	1-2 Weeks
Degree of Organization	Independently organized, flexible travel plan Most elements are not pre-booked, only outbound flight.	Packaged, organized by tour operator, inflexible. Components of holiday product are pre-booked at home.
Holiday Activities	Emphasis on informal and Participatory holiday activities.	Participate in wide range of activities. Day trips organized by tour operator. Sightseeing.
Expenditure	Limited, travels on a budget.	Comparatively large amount of money to spend.

What is Backpacking

Backpacker tourism is a global phenomenon. It involves the movement of millions of travelers around the world, and refers to a diverse range of experiences and activities that can include work, volunteering, education, leisure and holidaying.

According to Pearce (1990), backpackers are the travelers who predominantly young, more likely to stay in budget accommodation, emphasize meeting other travelers, independently travel, have a flexible travel schedule, stay for a longer rather than a brief holiday, focus on informal and participatory holiday activities.

The Tourism White Paper (2004) of Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources had been acknowledged the backpacker tourism as an ‘important niche market’ and cited the significant expenditure of backpacker visitors compared to non-backpacker visitors Backpacker tourism has recognized by lot of tourism operators as a main part of any tourism economy. In accordance with Fiona Allon (2008), the estimated economic significance of backpacker visitors for a range of areas, industries and services is such that backpacker tourism is now commonly referred to as a ‘high yield segment’ of the tourism industry. The growing popularity of backpacking has been recognized by many destinations and in Australia this travel sector accounted for 10% of all arrivals in 2003 (Australian Tourist Commission, 2004).

Nalaka Jayathilaka
Hospitality, Tourism & Events Management
Faculty of Management
Uva Wellassa University
Sri Lanka