Features of Backpacking Tourism - Term Paper Example

Backpacking is a more responsible form of tourism than institutional, mass tourism Table of Contents Responsible Tourism 4 Features of Backpacking Tourism 5 Penchant for Budget Accommodation 6 Enthusiastic to Interact with Native People and Fellow Travellers 6 Price Consciousness 6 Flexible Itinerary, Extended Stay 7 Active Adventure Seekers 7 Work and Leisure 7 Distinction between Mass Tourists and Backpackers 8 Is Backpacking a More Responsible Form of Tourism than Institutional, Mass Tourism? 9 More “Green” operators: consumer’s choice 10 Postmodern Tourism 12 Conclusion 14 References 15 Bibliography 18 Backpacking is a more responsible form of tourism than institutional, mass tourism. Discuss. Introduction The term backpacking is used to refer to a type of inexpensive independent global travel. It is an autonomous mode of tourism where the backpacker does not rely on tourist agencies. Backpacking is distinguished from other more conventional forms of travel by the following features: use of inexpensive public transport, penchant for youth hostels or local residences in place of expensive traditional hotels, tentative itinerary, the use of backpacks to pack in essential travel items, and interest in meeting and interacting with the locals and becoming familiar with their culture and way of life. The meaning of a backpacker has evolved with time. This is because though the term backpacker was originally used to refer to an Australian tourist with the above mentioned features, at present the term is used to designate travellers from diverse cultures and regions who have become a part of the backpacking lore. Backpackers constitute a heterogeneous group who display a shared dislike for institutionalised travel. Thus, non-institutionalised travel is an essential feature of the self-identification of the backpackers. Backpacking has grown from a mode of lifestyle to an industry now. The prevalence of low-cost budget airlines, youth hostels, motels and budget accommodation, digital communication and technological resources have made backpacking trips easier than ever before, but at the same time it has taken away from the original connotations and charm of backpacking. The important thing that must be kept in mind while studying the gradual change in the preferences of tourists is the shift in the way the issue of travelling is approached. Critics like Fennell (2007) have noticed, “past tourism researches has tended to rely more on the understanding of attractions, and how they affect tourists, than of other components of the industry.” There was a time when travelling generally referred to mass travelling, however, with changing times the approach has become totally different. In the present times mass tourism is viewed as evil. It is attributed with characteristics that have negative connotations. Fennell (2007) observed that nowadays “conventional mass tourism” is considered to be “a beast, a monstrosity which has few redeeming qualities for the destination region, their people and their natural resource base.” One of the most crucial points on which the concept of mass tourism is criticised is its intrinsic non-local orientation. They fail to consider the importance of benefiting the locality where they are visiting. The enduring symbol of mass tourism would be the mega resort or the posh hotel. The mass tourist would prefer to enjoy their holiday by not compromising with their comfort. Hence, the idea of enjoying indigenous products never arises. The other noticeable fact about mass tourism is that it has led to the commercialisation of cultural and natural resources. Non-institutionalised tourists were first differentiated from their institutionalised counterparts in 1972 by E. Cohen in his study Toward a Sociology of International Tourism. According to Cohen, the latter are the conventional tourists while the former are middle-class, young tourists, with an eye for adventure and a penchant for budget travel (Cohen, 1972). The non-institutionalised tourists are often characterised by a flexible itinerary. These adventure seeking tourists, interested in local men and manners, frequently take up casual jobs to supplement their finances (Backpacker Tourism, n.d.). They have been variously referred to as nomads (Cohen 1973), tramping youth (Adler 1985), youthful travellers (Teas 1974); hitchhikers (Mukerji 1978), wanderers (Vogt 1976), and long-term budget travellers (Riley 1988). In the last two decades however, backpacker is the most consistently used term (Loker 1993; Loker-Murphy 1996). Presently, all tourism experts almost unanimously agree that the backpackers are distinctly different from the institutionalised or conventional tourists. This paper aims to make a comparative study of these two dominant types of tourism and analyse whether backpacking is a more responsible form of tourism than institutional, mass tourism. Woodside & Martin have noted that, “non-institutionalised tourists to avoid conventional facilities might reflect upon both their budget limitations and their self-perception as travellers rather than tourists” (Woodside & Martin, 2008). Thus, it is worthwhile to examine whether backpacking is really a more responsible form of tourism than institutionalised tourism, as commonly believed by most people. Responsible Tourism In the last few years the concept of travel and tourism has undergone huge changes. Today, tourists are encouraged not to look at the places they visit as “destinations” but rather as “homes” of the respective local people. Tourists themselves are nowadays growing increasingly aware of the ecological and cultural aspects of the world around them and are eager to delve deeper, learn and understand the places they visit. Responsible Tourism has been defined as tourism which not only involves visiting good places, but also creating and sustaining them. It is conventionally characterised as that form of tourism which has very little or no negative impact on the socio-cultural and ecological aspects, and creates better economic possibilities for the native people. Responsible tourism boosts the welfare of the host communities through the improvement of working conditions and tourist-host relations. It is sensitive to the demands and wellbeing of the native people and seeks to enhance the quality of their lives. Responsible tourism is also perceptive of the global diversity and seeks to protect and shield the same. It makes efforts to contribute positively towards the preservation of cultural and ecological heritages. However, it does not mean that responsible tourism cuts down on the recreational and pleasurable aspects of tourism. Rather, it enhances the pleasurable experiences of tourists simply by making recreation and leisure more meaningful and conscious of the cultural and ecological issues of the places visited. Features of Backpacking Tourism Despite being commonly regarded as tourists on stringent budgets, it has often been seen that backpackers tend to spend more money than mass tourists. This is mainly because these tourists do not have a pre-scheduled itinerary. They travel further than mass tourists; stay longer at any place than institutionalised travellers, and also are ready to undertake risks and adventures. A typical backpacker is a comparatively young (most likely in the age-group 18-35 years), well-informed, culturally forward, educated, exploratory and price conscious person. However, as stated above, the fact that they are price conscious should not be mistaken for them being parsimonious. The travelling approach of the backpackers is characterised by the following aspects: Penchant for Budget Accommodation Backpackers seek value for money, and consequently they prefer to spend less on accommodation. They choose the cheaper accommodation options since they have other priorities for utilising their travel funds. Enthusiastic to Interact with Native People and Fellow Travellers One of the chief concerns of the backpackers is to know about the local people and establish friendly relations with them. Backpackers do not view themselves as distant from the local residents. They also become friendly with their fellow travellers in a bid to gain knowledge about the local customs and manners. Instead of staying in expensive hotels they prefer living with the common people and become intimate with the new way of life. Price Consciousness While backpackers are price conscious and generally want their money to last longer, surveys conducted on tourists have shown that they tend to spend double the money spent by institutionalised travellers. Flexible Itinerary, Extended Stay Backpackers travel with no fixed itinerary, and thus their travel has no fixed dates. They do not have hotel or travel bookings and seek varied experiences in diverse locations. They certainly have their own travel ideas but these are supplemented by few actual bookings, thus allowing them to alter and modify their travel plans. Active Adventure Seekers Since backpackers are usually young and adventurous, they are attracted by tours that offer active participation. These activities are usually distinct from the conventional mainstream tourist experiences. They are on the lookout for communication and information about native cultures and society. Work and Leisure Many backpackers have no qualms about working casually, for short term jobs in order to add to their funds. Since they move on a stringent budget this is a good way of enhancing their financial resources. Distinction between Mass Tourists and Backpackers Backpackers Mass Tourists Backpackers seek value for money, and consequently they prefer to spend less on accommodation. Mass tourists view their travel as a vacation or holiday and prefer to stay in comfortable accommodations, which would make their vacation a perfect recreation. One of the chief concerns of the backpackers is to know about the local people and establish friendly relations with them. They are in search of authentic experiences. Mass tourists view their travel as a holiday, and their place of holiday as a destination. They are not so much concerned about becoming amicable with the local people. While backpackers are price conscious and generally want their money to last longer, surveys conducted on tourists have shown that they tend to spend double the money spent by institutionalised travellers. Mass tourists spend money on their accommodation, good food and consumerist activities. They splurge on matters that secure their personal comfort. Backpackers travel with no fixed itinerary, and thus their travel has no fixed dates. They do not have hotel or travel bookings and seek varied experiences in diverse locations. Mass tourists plan their travel in advance and mostly stick to those plans. They have flight bookings and hotel reservations and adhere strictly to them. Since backpackers are usually young and adventurous, they are attracted by tours that offer active participation. These activities are usually distinct from the conventional mainstream tourist experiences. They are on the lookout for communication and information about native cultures and society. Mass tourists are on the lookout for mainstream and conventional tourist experiences. They are not much into adventure and prefer traditional tourist activities like sightseeing, shopping and visiting famous places. They are driven by a consumerist culture. Many backpackers have no qualms about working casually, for short term jobs in order to add to their funds. Mass tourists would never think of working on a holiday. They view their vacation as a scope of escaping from the trials and tribulations of daily life. Is Backpacking a More Responsible Form of Tourism than Institutional, Mass Tourism? Responsible tourism is founded on considerations of ethics and human rights. These include protecting the labour rights of service workers and porters, developing and participating in programs opposing women and child abuse, (in tour­ism, prostitution for instance) and campaigning for protecting endangered species that are facing threat of extinction. Agro-tours, fair trade, ecotourism, anti-poverty tourism, and voluntary-tourism, are all part of responsible tourism. According to Chris Martin’s group, Fair Trade South Africa, “Fair trade in tourism is about ensuring that the people whose land, natural resources, labour, knowledge, and culture are used for tour­ism activities actually benefit from tourism” (Responsible Travel Handbook, 2006). It can be said that it is the ills of mass tourism that has led to the sublime realization that alternative modes of tourism can provide greater physical and mental satisfaction. Fennell (2007) has noticed that responsible tourism, like ecotourism and backpacking tourism have “grown as a consequence of the dissatisfaction with conventional forms of tourism which have, in a general sense, ignored social and ecological elements of destinations in favour of more anthropocentric and profit-centred approaches to the delivery of tourism products.” Eminent tourism critics like Hannam and Ateljevic have conformed to this point of view. According to them, “Backpacker tourism, with its low-budget and low-impact characteristics, may emphasise sustainability, both in an environmental and cultural sense” (2007). More “Green” operators: consumer’s choice A gradual change in the attitudes of tourists has been noticed with the changes in their preferences. Global environmental awareness has actually made the tourists prefer responsible tourism over any other kind of tourism. Nowadays, a number of surveys are conducted to gauge the extent of change that the tourism industry has undergone. These researches go on to prove that though “ethical concerns are increasing… active concern remains a minority interest” (Business Implementation of Pro Poor Tourism: Case Study Briefs, n.d.). According to surveys conducted for the last 10 years, it has been observed that the consumer demand has lead to the rise in the supply of ethical products in the markets of the developed nations. However, researchers have noticed that this change has affected the tourism industry to modify their own approach towards the way they conducted business. For this reason a large number of ethical tourism products are actually a part of mass tourism. The holiday plans introduced by the British Airways can be used as an example to describe this change. This development has led to the belief that though it is hard to evade the overwhelming advertising strategies of the tourism industry yet the rise in consumer awareness about ethical issues has led to adoption of environment-friendly methods by the tourism industry. This approach is now being viewed as a profitable means by which companies can get added advantage in the immensely competitive market. According to the study conducted by Weeden (2002), there are unfortunately a number of tour operators who are yet unaware of the sea change that the tourism industry is undergoing. They feel that there has been no change in consumer demands and they also refuse to acknowledge the fact that nowadays, consumers value ethical issues. Weeden has argued that though tourists may show change in their attitude yet it does not necessarily mean that they are ready to pay high prices for it. There has been more and more stress on the issue of responsible tourism in the present times. According to Spencely (2008), “there has been an increasing emphasis among non-governmental organisations (NGO) and development agencies over the past two decades to use opportunities presented by tourism to diversify livelihood options and alleviate poverty.” There are organisations such as Pro-Poor Tourism (PPT) which aim at conducting tourism that will benefit the natives. They believe in enhancing “the linkages between tourism businesses and poor people, so that tourism's contribution to poverty reduction is increased and poor people are able to participate more effectively in product development” (Pro-Poor Tourism Pilots in South Africa, n.d.). According to PPT, “the Ethical Purchasing Index (EPI) shows that spending on green and ethical products rose by 18.1% during 2000, contrasting with growth of 3% in the mainstream economy. Spending on ethical purchasing now outstrips growth of 'non-ethical' counterparts by more than six times. Green market leaders include ethical food markets (in particular, Fairtrade) which grew by 24% between 1999 and 2000, and the green energy market, which grew by 74.3% over the same period” (Business Implementation of Pro Poor Tourism: Case Study Briefs, n.d.). Thus, travellers are today much more ecologically and culturally aware and sensitive. Backpacking tourism has led to the concept of postmodern tourism, which is again characterised by environmental awareness and recognition of the value of diverse cultures. Postmodern Tourism The theory of Postmodern Tourism is based upon the concept that the behavioural patterns of the tourist as a consumer has changed over the years. The factors which have induces this gradual change are related to issues like industrialisation and environmental awareness. According to this theory, the traditional boundaries, which had been held until now, have become blurred. Today, tourism has led to the merging of various cultures and it has become difficult to exclude one culture from another (Postmodern Tourism n.d.). Postmodern travellers mostly come from developed nations. They are educated and have considerable know-how about the ecological balance that they might be affecting during their tour. According to the idea put forward by Postmodern Tourism (n.d.), there are three basic aspects that characterise a postmodern tourist. The first feature is that they prefer travelling to places where there is a seamless merging of art and life and they are “fused in playful borrowing of ornamental style.” The other feature is that they prefer spending time amidst classical forms of art. The third aspect is the preference for tourism locations where the travellers can be near nature. Tourists are today opting more and more for “green” choices, thereby encouraging the tourism industry to acknowledge and implement Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategies. Tourist agencies realise that in working as Tour Operators they are responsible for respecting other people’s homeland and their customs, culture and way of life. Following responsible tourism practices can help one to protect the natural environment, the traditional and cultural ways of life of people of diverse ethnicities all over the world. Responsible tourism should be sensitive to the subject of social accountability, give due regards to local cultures and be ecologically considerate. Tourism should be conscious of the need of giving fair economic returns to the local people, and help to extend the advantage of tourism to the local people and their economic conditions. Moreover, “green” tourism is mindful of conservation of natural resources such as water and energy and uses these resources carefully. It is concerned with the protection of endangered species of wildlife and the preservation of the natural and cultural heritage of the tourist places so that the tourist place is safe and secure for future generations. Conclusion The detailed study above looks into the concepts of backpacking tourism, mass tourism, postmodern tourism, corporate social responsibility, responsible tourism, and green tourism. From the above it is comprehensible that more and more consumers are today opting for responsible tourism. While the conventional view is that backpacking tourism is more environment friendly than mass or institutionalised tourism, today all tourists may be said to be more ecologically conscious. Tourists are aware that while they are out to enjoy and have fun, they should make conscious efforts to minimise negative impacts on the environment, both natural and socio-cultural. While backpackers are always sensitive to the economic benefits for the local people and are concerned about the welfare of the hosts, mass tourists are also more aware today than they were before. This includes efforts to improve working conditions and gain access to the industry. It involves incorporating local people in the decisions that influence their lives and life chances. Mass tourists are today trying to make constructive contributions towards the preservation of environmental and cultural heritages and to the conservation of global diversity. It is quite possible that even mass institutionalised tourists, that is the tourists in organised tours—which is apparently the polar opposite of the backpacking tourists—engage in tourism for diverse purposes and obtain different levels of satisfaction from them. References Adler, J.1985. “Youth on the Road: Reflections on the History of Tramping.” Annals of Tourism Research 12:335–354. 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