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Backpacking is a term that has historically been used to denote a form of low-cost, independent international travel.
Terms such as independent travel and/or budget travel are often used
interchangeably with backpacking. The factors that traditionally
differentiate backpacking from other forms of tourism include but are not
limited to the following: use of public transport as a means of travel, preference of youth
hostels to traditional hotels, length
of the trip vs. conventional vacations, use of a backpack, an interest in meeting the locals as well as seeing the sights.
The definition of a backpacker has evolved as travelers from different cultures
and regions participate and will continue to do so, preventing an
air-tight definition. Recent research has found that, “...backpackers
constituted a heterogeneous group with respect to the diversity of
rationales and meanings attached to their travel experiences. ...They
also displayed a common commitment to a non-institutionalised form of
travel, which was central to their self-identification as backpackers”. Backpacking as a lifestyle and as a business has grown considerably in the 2000s as the commonplace of low-cost airlines,
hostels or budget accommodation in many parts of the world, and digital
communication and resources make planning, executing, and continuing a
long-term backpacking trip easier than ever before.
HistoryWhile there is no definitive answer as to the precise origin of
backpacking, its roots can be traced, at least partially, to the Hippie trail of the 1960s and 70s, which in turn followed sections of the old Silk Road.
In fact, some backpackers today seek to re-create that journey, albeit
in a more comfortable manner, while capitalizing on the current
popularity of the green movement. Looking further into history, Giovan Francesco Gemelli Careri has been cited by some as one of the world's first backpackers.
While travel along the old Hippie Trail has been rendered
complicated since the early 80s due to unrest in Afghanistan, Iraq and
Iran that continues today, backpacking has expanded to most regions of
the world. In recent years, the increase of budget airlines and
low-cost flights has contributed to this expansion.
Technological changes and improvements have also contributed to
changes in backpacking. Traditionally backpackers did not travel with
expensive electronic equipment such as laptop computers, digital
cameras and PDAs due to concerns about theft, damage, and additional
luggage weight. However, the desire to stay connected coupled with
trends in lightweight electronics have given rise to the flashpacking
trend, which has been in a state of continuous evolution in recent
years .
Simultaneous with a change in “what” they’re carrying, backpacking is
also becoming less and less reliant on the physical backpack in its
initial form although
the backpack can still be considered the primary luggage of backpackers.
CultureOne of the central tenets of backpacking is the sense of community.
Whether this takes the form of staying at in a dormitory in a hostel
with a self-catering kitchen and communal TV room, sharing rides with
other travelers, purchasing a bus/train pass or something else, what
matters is the shared experience. This allows backpackers to learn from
one another while saving money at the same time: the first-hand account
of a fellow traveler can often be more up to date than what was
published in a recent Lonely Planet, the long cited bible of backpacker travel.
Of equal importance in backpacking is the sense of authenticity. Backpacking is not a vacation
but rather a means of education.
Backpackers want to experience the “real” destination rather than the
packaged version often associated with mass tourism, which has led to
the assertion that backpackers are anti-tourist.
There is also the feeling of "sneaking backstage" and witnessing real life with more involvement with local
people
Backpacking, like other forms of travel, remains controversial. As
with the general history of backpacking some of these criticisms date
back to travelers’ actions along the Hippie Trail
.
Criticism comes from many sides, including the host countries and other
travelers who disagree with the actions of backpackers although the
perception of backpackers seems to have improved as backpacking grows
more mainstream.
- Adkins, Barbara; Eryn Grant (2007-08). "Backpackers as a Community of Strangers: The Interaction Order of an Online Backpacker Notice Board" (PDF). Qualitative Sociology Review 3 (2): 188-201. Retrieved on 2007-10-29.
- Backpacker Tourism. Market Segments > Backpacker Tourism. Tourism New South Wales. Retrieved on 2008-04-07.
- The Netherlands. Monthly Market Report. Tourism Australia (2007-10). Retrieved on 2008-04-07.
- Cohen, Erik (2003). "Backpacking: Diversity and Change" (PDF). Tourism and Cultural Change 1 (2): 95-110. Retrieved on 2007-10-29.
- Conlin, Jennifer. "IN TRANSIT; Traveling to the Ends of the Earth, at Ground Level", The New York Times, 2007-02-11. Retrieved on 2007-10-29.
- "The Inventor of Traveling - The First Backpacker in the World?", 2007-07. Retrieved on 2008-01-03.
- "'Flashpacking?' Don't Forget you Still Need Room for Extra Socks", USA Today, 2006-06-20. Retrieved on 2007-10-29.
- Catto, Susan. "PRACTICAL TRAVELER; The 'Pack' Of Backpacking", The New York Times, 2002-04-14. Retrieved on 2007-10-27.
- "Flashpacking", Imagine.
- Miles, Paul. "Best of Both Worlds", Guardian Unlimited, 20042004-06-12.
- "The Flashpacker: A New Breed of Traveler", Hotel Travel News, 2006-03-24. Retrieved on 2007-11-07.
- "Six of the World’s Finest Flashpacking Hostels", HostelBookers.com.
- Shrimpton, James. "Flashy way to Backpack", NEWS.com.au.
- Pearce, Philip; Faith Foster (2007). "A “University of Travel”: Backpacker Learning". Tourism Management 28 (5): 1285-1298.
- Richards, Greg; Julie Wilson (2004). The Global Nomad: Backpacker Theory in Travel and Practice. Channel View Publications, 80-91. ISBN 1873150768.
- Langston-Able, Nick (2007). Playing with Fire: Adventures in Indonesia. Freakash, 30. ISBN 9780955340345.
- MacLean, Rory. "Dark Side of the Hippie Trail", The New Statesman, 2006-07-31. Retrieved on 2007-10-27.
- Caprioglio O'Reilly, Camille (2006). "From Drifter to Gap Year Tourist Mainstreaming Backpacker Travel". Annals of Tourism Research 33 (4): 998-1017. doi:10.1016/j.annals.2006.04.002.
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