Our society is becoming more restless and mobile, a symbol for this mobility are the backpackers. Backpackers are found everywhere in the world and represent a form of low-cost independent travellers. To experience as much as possible, seems to be a very important issue for backpackers and they have that as a motivation during their travels. Backpackers have been described as ”experiences hungry”. The term experiences, is today being used a lot in the tourism industry. To be able to predict what an experience is, can be hard and the term is hard to define. Mobile technologies are also becoming a permanent part of the our society. Communication technology are something that backpackers use more and more during their travels. This thesis identifies knowledge and design implications for a mobile application to support backpacker´s need when travelling and how backpackers define the notion of travel experiences. The result of the thesis have calumniated in a mobile application prototype that coul contribute in letting backpackers get more out of there journey. This in an interactive and social way, by giving backpackers the opportunity to be social towards each-other share information through a social medium. As the thesis have shown that backpackers wants to meet others on there journey and experience the world.

abstract: This study aimed to explore the relationship between international backpackers and local communities in the developing world. By investigating the role of technology design in a backpacking trip, this research analyzed the potential to improve Sustainable Tourism for both international backpackers and local communities. The idea of achieving sustainability in this research is to assess both economic and cultural impact through the assistance of technology. This study originates from a grounded theory approach triangulated from literature reviews and the researcher’s observations. The research tested the suitability of this theory by using qualitative research methods, then analyzed the appropriateness of its applicability. The findings suggested some useful standards for proposing design solutions to enhance sustainable tourism within the backpacker segment / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Design 2016

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Magister Artium - MA / Backpacker tourism is a niche market of tourism that has been rapidly growing, South Africa in particular has become an increasingly popular destination for backpacker tourism (Visser 2004). Academic interest in backpacker tourism research has grown in recent years, although the current literature on backpacker tourism has focused on the economic significance and impacts with little empirical research conducted on the characteristics, motivations and behaviors. Cohen (2003) stresses that future research should stop referring to backpacking as if it were a homogeneous phenomenon, and should rather focus on its diverse manifestations in terms of origins, age, gender, class, nationality and cultural backgrounds of backpackers. Since backpacker tourism is a growing market it is important for the destination to understand the specifics and capabilities of the market in order to create sustainable products. The main aim of this research is to segment the backpacker tourism market in South Africa, in order to ascertain if any significant sub-groups exist. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were utilised to collect data including a distribution of 202 questionnaire surveys to backpackers within backpacker hostels and also participant observation was employed to gain an in-depth understanding of the phenomena. Factor and cluster analysis was used to analyse the data. The following motive-based segments were identified: Self-developers/ Learners, Experience Seekers, Escapers/ Independence, Adventures/ Social Seekers. The results revealed that these segments do illustrate an increase in the heterogeneity of backpacker tourism. The reason these sub-groups of backpackers are depicted in South Africa is to address the underlying desires of backpackers in order to satisfy their needs.

Backpacker tourists frequently express “anti-tourist” attitudes and are confident that they contribute positively to their destinations. Ironically, they are sometimes characterised by stakeholders in destinations in less developed countries as neo-colonial invaders. In spite of their anti-tourist attitudes, in reality, backpacker tourists tend to stay in backpacker enclaves where the cultural and moral values of backpackers are dominant. This happens because they encounter many obstacles to enjoying the backpacking experience in an unfamiliar interregional (intercultural) environment. Given such contradictory phenomena surrounding backpacker tourists in less developed countries, one question is how they manifest their responsible behaviour. Therefore, this research aims to explore the nature and degree of responsible behaviour amongst backpacker tourists in Thailand, which is one of the most popular backpacker destinations in the world. Through mixed method research, this principally explores (1) the frequency levels of backpackers’ behavioural intentions, their actual responsible behaviour, and the gap between them based on a series of items representing responsible behaviour, and (2) their definitions and perceived experiences of responsible behaviour. The research found that whilst backpacker tourists tend to report their frequent responsible behaviour and perceive themselves as “responsible” tourists, in reality, they experience many difficulties in behaving responsibly in an unfamiliar interregional (intercultural) tourism setting in spite of their intention to do so, and while being well aware of the importance of behaving responsibly. There is a propensity among backpacker tourists to exaggerate the importance of small and fleeting experiences of responsible behaviour outside backpacker enclaves (e.g. a moment of demonstrating a respectful attitude towards local people). Also, cultural experiences within backpacker enclaves, which are staged authentic manner (e.g. participation in a cultural or cookery class), tend to be exaggerated in importance and regarded as highly responsible behaviour. Moreover, whilst backpacker tourists appreciate themselves as “responsible” tourists and during their travels they respect others and behave so as not to disturb others which are required to do so regardless of place, culture and custom even in the home in daily life, they represented their reluctance to “engage” in responsible behaviour, especially altruistic and philanthropic activities (i.e., engagement in volunteering work or donating to local communities). These propensities were common to all types of backpacker tourists in this study; even those who reported their own outstandingly frequent intention and actual responsible behaviour (i.e., backpacker tourists who travel extensively with the strong motivation to explore destination countries). The principal conclusion in this research is that, whilst the behaviour reported by the backpacker tourists was never harmfully irresponsible, there are several contradictions between their evaluation of their responsible behaviour and their actual behaviour patterns. Moreover, there is a gap between their behavioural pattern of responsible behaviour and the concept of “responsible tourism” for backpacker tourists. The declared good intentions and instances of actually behaving in a responsible manner by backpacker tourists do not necessarily mean that they behave altruistically and philanthropically that the concept of responsible tourism aims to engender.

The rise of the internet, social networking sites, and mobile devices have transformed the way backpackers experience travel. Social sphere of traveling is not merely a physical space but is now extended through digital social media in which backpackers can interact, post, share, and present their corporeal travel activities online. This study aims to explore social affordances of digital technologies including mobile devices, social networking sites, and the internet as means of extended social interaction, and how it affects the way backpackers experience travel. The affordances perspective assumes that the linkage between human and technology is relational, meaning that it creates the possibilities for human actions as well as constrains depending on the context of the user and the capacity of technological artefact. One of the largest Indonesian backpacker community is selected as the research site. The community is managed both online and offline through an online forum and conducting routine gatherings for its members. An approach in qualitative research known as netnography combined with interviews were employed to collect research materials. Analysis was performed to identify patterns of backpacker interaction afforded by digital technologies. The findings indicated that the presence of digital technologies was seen beneficial for the creation of network capital, presentation of identity, and performing mobile social interactions demonstrating a form of network sociality. Furthermore, digital mobile interactions increasingly became a central element in the making of the backpacking experience. The use of digital technologies among backpackers reflected the convergence of corporeal mobility and digitally mediated communication which can help explain patterns of sociality and interaction on the move.

iTrak is a combined mobile and web application that takes advantage of the GPS to allow travelers to share their experience while travelling. The application gathers GPS data and broadcasts it via a web interface or social networks such as Facebook to update user’s status during a trip. iTrak is also equipped with other features such as writing notes or recording video journals to offer a rich experience and provide an interactive diary, along with a real-time tracking ability, for travelers. / text

Resande har blivit en stor del av vårt samhälle och livsstilen för många unga människor idag. Min studie är ett försök att belysa vad som får oss att söka vår identitet i kulturer långt från våra egna, och hur dessa kulturer uttrycker sig själva. Hösten 2001 gick Sverige med i ett arrangemang som runt tio länder har med Australien, nämligen working/holiday-visumet. Detta och en rad andra aspekter har ökat resandet till denna del av världen. Den antropologiska metoden av fältobservationer och intervjuer med resenärer inbjuder till kunskap om hur denna arena av backpckers ser sig själva och vad som skapar denna kultur från ett inifrån-perspektiv.

<p>Söder om Goas partystränder ligger den ganska fridfulla staden Gokarna. Gokarna har sedan början på 1980-talet varit en träffpunkt för både religiöst sökande västerlänningar och indier som insett att de kan tjäna pengar på de nyfikna turisterna. Turister som söker sig utanför sina trygga hem för att fylla andliga hål som den västerländska kulturen lämnat öppna. Jag fascinerades av den andlighet som uppstår bland turister som lever lata dagar på stränder där allt är serverat för en billig penning. Den andlighet som kommer av introspektion i en religiös omgivning.</p><p>Jag har själv sedan början av 2000-talet då jag genomförde min första resa till Indien varit en del av den växande ungdomskultur som kan kallas backpacker. Det är med mina egna erfarenheter av resande och religiös nyfikenhet jag nu har påbörjat min tredje resa i Indien som ska resultera i en uppsats om andligt sökande västerlänningar i Gokarna, Indien.</p><p>Syftet med denna uppsats är att försöka kartlägga några av de tankar och handlingar rörande religion och ritual som mina informanter, backpackers i Gokarna, Indien har.</p>

Söder om Goas partystränder ligger den ganska fridfulla staden Gokarna. Gokarna har sedan början på 1980-talet varit en träffpunkt för både religiöst sökande västerlänningar och indier som insett att de kan tjäna pengar på de nyfikna turisterna. Turister som söker sig utanför sina trygga hem för att fylla andliga hål som den västerländska kulturen lämnat öppna. Jag fascinerades av den andlighet som uppstår bland turister som lever lata dagar på stränder där allt är serverat för en billig penning. Den andlighet som kommer av introspektion i en religiös omgivning. Jag har själv sedan början av 2000-talet då jag genomförde min första resa till Indien varit en del av den växande ungdomskultur som kan kallas backpacker. Det är med mina egna erfarenheter av resande och religiös nyfikenhet jag nu har påbörjat min tredje resa i Indien som ska resultera i en uppsats om andligt sökande västerlänningar i Gokarna, Indien. Syftet med denna uppsats är att försöka kartlägga några av de tankar och handlingar rörande religion och ritual som mina informanter, backpackers i Gokarna, Indien har.