Funny article here.
http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-news/call-for-backpackers-to-be-scrapped-20090430-anz4.html
Pretty meaningless really, you can't "scrap" a very widely used term. Not sure what trip Colourful Trips is on. I guess like a lot of tourism stories it's just about exposure in the media. If anyone is interested in who the BTAP is, it has a facebook page.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=249002460000
15 years
damn you, i read the same article today and was about to post it!
i think the counter argument is spot on; international students may well be budget arricals to australia but they arent necesarily part of the 'backpacker' market, its 2 completely different markets.
15 years
Related article:
http://www.justtheflight.co.uk/news/17343653-backpackers-to-become-obsolete.html
According to Philip Pearce, a professor in tourism at the James Cook University, in Australia the term backpacker has developed increasingly negative connotations among the youth market, with terms such as "independent traveller", "youth traveller" and "adventure tourist" gaining popularity.
15 years
My hostel is located in a University town, and we have a large number of international students here. From what i can see, they tend to stick close to the uni and not travel. I think its a bit of a waste to cater to people that wont put anything back into your industry. I also think that this kind of petty debate goes against the grain of Australia, its meant to be cruisy and laid back here, not strictly PC.
15 years
He wants a debate about the word backpacker, which he says excludes international students from taking part and sourcing low-cost travel.
WTF? :confused:
15 years
I just found it a bit ridiculous as international students are not backpackers, any more than business travellers are backpackers. It is a different market, so if you want to appeal to that market then you have to target it. Haggis tours in Scotland have done this, by having the Haggis brand that targets backpackers, and the Highland Explorer brand that's aimed at the more mature and less party orientated segment of the market.
15 years
I just found it a bit ridiculous as international students are not backpackers, any more than business travellers are backpackers. It is a different market, so if you want to appeal to that market then you have to target it. Haggis tours in Scotland have done this, by having the Haggis brand that targets backpackers, and the Highland Explorer brand that's aimed at the more mature and less party orientated segment of the market.
Absolutely! We just need to brand "backpackers" and campaign showing the positive side and fight against the negative attitudes. Hostels together have the time, money and energy to do it. Also we have to act asap before some private company exhausts the term and uses it for private purposes! :rolleyes:
15 years
If suppliers to the backpacker market wish to tap into other youth markets, then they need to realise that the word 'backpacker' has no meaning to these people. Beating them over the head and telling them they're 'backpackers won't work either. Also note that there are no inverted comas in the headline. In other words, the word 'scrapped' is the journo creating a story - which it did!
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