Interesting item here about illegal backpackers hostels being set up in houses and flats in Melbourne. I imagine lots of cities have to deal with this problem, but it does seem quite bad there. Sounds like they don't really have the laws in place to deal with it quickly. This sort of house of multiple occupancy would have to comply with numerous fire and other regulations in a lot of countries.
Article here
13 years
From the comments, "These type of tourist bring very little to the country. The mentality of a lot is to see how long they can stay away from home on the least amount of money."
Even in Australia, backpackers have an image problem with some of the common folk.
13 years
I think a lot of the backpackers in this article would be long stay working holiday types, mixed in with local itinerant workers. Which is different to the people who might stay a few days in a regular hostel. I certainly wouldn't like to live near a place full of people who are determined to spend every night drunk for a 12 months before heading back to their real lives.
13 years
you really should see the state of some of the areas that backpackers congregate in; theyre utterly awful. people live in their van on the side of the road, shit in a bucket and do nothing but drink goon. as a backpacker and hosteler, i would NOT want 99% of those kids living anywhere near me unless it was in a hostel. some of the areas are revolting.
and when they say they do nothing for the economy, theyre right - they park their van, drink goon (box wine) and eat 2min noodles. these arent backpackers that go out large and spend loads, theyre litteraly living off $10 a day and making a mess. i really really dont begrudge the locals in these cases...
edit: woops, got this mixed up with the 'backpackers not welcome' thread.
13 years
Apparently charges have been laid against some of the owners of these "hostels", although it seems the authorities are limited in what they can do. Details here.
A few years ago I lived in an area popular with working holiday long stay backpackers and it really convinced me that the earth's environment as far as habitability for humans is doomed. Here were people who were generally well educated, well off by global standards and the conditions they created can only be called squalid. The selfishness was incredible. The conditions you mention gordo are spot on to what I remember.
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