Practical Implication

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A backpacker can be on either side for each factor. One can be an accountant, an anti-tourist, a navigator, a humble, an ethnographer, and an opinionated traveler – which depicts the ideal authentic drifter or the “adventurer”, according to Cohen’s (1972; 1973) typology. This might cover a wide range of variations that might exist in defining backpackers according to their preference for destination attributes.

Those are three contributions that this research might have. Following its academic contributions, the research might also offer some practical uses. This is discussed in the next section.

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on the night-bus ticket can always be tolerated by backpackers since it saves them some money on accommodation as well. Also, this research indicates the importance of ‘work availability’, that argued to be the most distinctive feature. It allows travelers to either reduce the cost, save expenses, or earn money while travelling – which in turn helps them to sustain long-term travel. The availability of jobs in a destination will increase its competitiveness in the eyes of budget travelers.

In relation to Asian backpackers, most of them are part-time drifters and many can be categorized as “flashpackers”, that characterized by higher budget to spend. The industry may tailor offerings that priced a bit higher in order to cater this segment, but with certain justifications to meet the criteria of being ‘worth’, e.g., to charge more for a room that bundled with meals or tickets to attractions, a higher bus ticket in exchange to better comfort, etc. To some extent, these Asian flashpackers can be understood as a regular tourist disguising as a backpacker. That is to say, what they need is the image of perception that they are treated as a backpacker. It is done by living in the so-called

‘backpacker hostel’, hanging out with fellow ‘backpackers’, and so on. Therefore, the backpackerish ambiance will be very important for them to create such perception. For example, the establishment backpacker dorm, equipped with common room gathering takes place, but priced higher with much better facilities compared to conventional backpacker accommodations could unlock the opportunity in this segment.

Attraction is always the center of a destination. A destination is competitive if it can utilize its endowed resources or comparative advantage. In order to reach the competitive advantage, a destination might enhance its attraction by combining it with other attributes, such as events and activities. That tactic might help a destination to attract tourists.

However, a high diversity of tourism products is also needed in order to prolong their stay in a destination. Lastly on this factor, attraction should be seen from a wider perspective

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that it doesn’t only derive from the attributes of this factor. Other attributes coming from other factors can also act as an attraction per se or an enhancer as shown in Table 6.3.

Accessibility could be the most technical factor in the model. It increases the competitiveness of a destination if it can provide an easier (and preferably affordable) access for travelers to move in, out, and around. Besides, an enclave might multiply its attraction if it’s reachable from another enclave, considering the nature of backpackers to travel to multiple destinations. Accessibility can also play its role in relation to attraction, since it offers unique experiences that mainstream tourists might not get and the opportunity to get immersed with locals.

Amenities might center its importance on the accommodation. It has the ability to incorporate other attributes and factors. It doesn’t only function as a lodge to stay, but also as a hub for backpackers to gather, which is an integral part in experiencing backpacker subculture and save some expenses. That is to say, the availability of budget accommodations would improve the competitiveness in a destination.

Atmosphere can help to leverage the competitiveness since it encourages travelers to stay longer through its friendly and homey atmosphere. In many cases, backpackers don’t stay long in a destination to always visit different attractions every day. They stay because of the atmosphere, either it’s homey, relaxing, friendly, and so on. Regarding service quality, there is a note that Asian travelers to be reserved or less-expressive, which makes it difficult for the businesses in the case of complaints or dissatisfaction happens.

To mitigate those issues, the industry might overcome it by offering different channels of communication such as staff who can speak the language, emails or indirect communication, or incentives if they speak directly to the management. That way, any complaint will be intervened before it goes public unnoticed. In addition, backpackers in

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general are more risk-tolerant than regular tourists, as long as the risk is still manageable.

Therefore, to posses a sense of adventurous atmosphere can be another potential advantage for a destination trying to attract backpackers that demonstrated in the case of riding motorcycles instead of taking public transportation or tour.

In terms of amplifier, the competitiveness of a destination can be improved if it manages to disseminate image clearly to the targeted segments, shape the perception, and create awareness of their offerings. For example, in order to develop a newly-emerging enclave, the planner should amplify the presence of the destination around the nearest established-enclaves (probably at backpacker hostels, restaurants, travel guide books, etc.) while at the same time trying to shape the image that different from the established enclaves. Concerning the issue of capacity, many destinations have held a strong brand as a backpacker destination. And most backpackers will keep visiting popular places because the majority of them are seeking the experience of living in a backpacker sub-culture. That is to say, an overcrowd destination manages to attract much more backpackers than the less-known ones, though it means there is a potential drawback that comes from overtourism that also fueled by mainstreamization. The suggestions on this challenge are discussed in the earlier section. As a summary, Table 6.1 shows the reflection on the role of each factor in affecting the competitiveness of a destination.

Table 6. 2. Reflection on How Each Factor Improves Destination Competitiveness Source: Researcher’s compilation

Factor What Makes It Competitive

Affordability - Cheaper price; Or higher price but still affordable and worth the price - Job or work availability

- Growing popularity of co-working spaces in backpacker enclaves Attraction - Utilize the core attractors (comparative advantage), esp. the natural or

cultural

- Combine and enhance the core attractors with events & activities

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- If there is no significant core attractor resource, turning a destination into cheap party town might attract backpackers

- Higher diversity attracts more and encourage backpackers to stay longer Accessibility - Affordable transportation means (personal or public)

- Easier access to get in, out, and around - Unique experience in transportation

- Relaxed visa policy to enter and extend (including longer period of stay) - Strategically located to or between other enclaves would boost the

advantage

Amenities - Presence of internet, financial service, and budget food service

- Availability of budget accommodation options (might cover the points above) where many backpackers treat it as a hub or gathering point - Tour operator might help in particular cases

Atmosphere - Homey and relaxed atmosphere of the local community - Professionalism (especially for flashpackers)

- Tolerable, manageable, anticipated risk

Amplifier - It can amplify all factors and attributes in the model - Better awareness and communication on destination image

- Overcrowd destinations with overcapacity attracts more backpackers - Uncharted destinations attract the pioneers or the adventurers which will

be the starting point of mass-tourism in the future

- Market ties give additional motivation; but there should be main attraction(s)

- Be ready for the trend of budget-family travel

The Attractors Outside “Attraction”

As an elaboration on what has been indicated earlier, some factors and attributes might play its role as an attractor, even though they are not categorized under the factor

‘attraction’. They could either function as the attraction per se, enhancing the attraction, or encouraging a longer stay. Further elaboration on “encouraging a longer stay”, this function could be more important for budget travel tourism since the market itself has a very limited budget to spend. If the destination planners would like to maximize its impact, particularly on the economic aspect, then they must find a way to encourage travelers to stay longer instead of stimulating them to spend more since the latter approach might be more relevant for tourists with a higher budget.

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The attribute ‘work availability’ could become an attraction by itself, like Australia which associated as a popular working holiday destination among backpackers. Perhaps if there is no such scheme, most likely a number of backpackers visiting the continent would be significantly decreased. Together with ‘price’, it also can become a reason for budget travelers to stay longer in a destination. The attribute ‘get in, out, and around’

could act as an attraction itself, such as in the case of hitchhikers, cyclists, taking Circular Train in Yangon or MRT in Singapore, train fanatics in Japan (tetsudou otaku), etc.

Getting around can also become an enhancer of tourist experience in a destination, especially found in personal transportation, e.g., bicycles or motorcycles, that gives a sense of freedom for travelers.

‘Accommodation’ plays a very important part as an attractor in a destination. It acts as a gathering hub for travelers and a place to experience the sub-culture of backpackers.

‘Atmosphere’ definitely becomes one of the most significant attractor for budget travelers to visit and stay there longer, as found in the case of Pai in Thailand or Vang Vieng in Laos which become an established backpacker enclave due to its backpacker atmosphere, despite relatively have a limited option of attractions but manage to keep backpackers flocking to those destinations. That is to conclude that the atmosphere has a very significant role in attracting the segment of backpackers, even for destinations without endowed attraction resources. Table 6.2 below lists the attributes and their role.

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Table 6. 3. Attributes and Its Role as an Attractor Source: Researcher’s interpretation

Might be an Attraction Enhancer Encourage Longer Stay

AFF Work availability Price Price, Work availability

ATT All attributes Events & Activities

- Diversity

- Artificial att. (party town)

ACC Get in, out, & around Get around

AME Accommodation

Internet, food service, tour operator (on

accommodation)

Accommodation

ATM Local atmosphere Hospitality & svc quality (on accommodation)

- Local atmosphere - Safety & security AMP ^- Image, awareness, & capacity (either as overcrowded or uncharted)

- Market ties & family-travel