This study is the first to collect detailed empirical data on sexual practice among backpackers while exploring the material and social context of backpacking using an ethnographic framework. The theoretical concepts of liminality and sexual scripts were drawn on to analyse the findings. Backpackers were recruited from hostels in Sydney and Cairns; 559 backpackers (243 women, 316 men) completed an anonymous self-administered questionnaire. In addition, 25 in-depth one-to-one interviews with backpackers and 25 semi-structured interviews were conducted with sexual health and travel clinic staff and hostel service providers. Participant and non-participant observation in backpacker hostels also informed the analysis. Drinking alcohol, often to excess, was central to the backpacking setting and was both a reason for and a post-facto justification of unprotected sex. The backpacking setting encouraged transient liaisons. More than half (55%) of backpackers had sex with someone new during their trip and for 71% of them it was with someone that they had just met that day. Twenty-five per cent of those with no expectations to have casual sex on their trip and 22% of those with no previous experience of casual sex had casual sex during their trip. More than half (53%) of those who had sex with a someone new did so while other people were in the room. Only 55% always used a condom with their last new partner. While most backpackers carried condoms and intended to use them, unprotected sex was common. Perception of risk was low: 78% of those who did not use a condom the last time they had casual sex on the trip perceived their risk of getting HIV to be ??low?? to ??nil??. Three participants acquired HIV during their trip. The culture of backpacking encourages more sexually permissive attitudes but does not encourage condom use, especially for those who did not consistently use condoms at home. These findings highlight the need for more broad-based dissemination of information on STIs to young people, and for future sexual health campaigns to specifically target backpackers in the context in which they travel.

The aim of this Master's thesis is to examine the information use among Swedish backpackers, both prior to departure and while travelling. The questions posed in this study are; which artefacts did the backpackers use, in what way were those used as tools of mediation within their social practice and how does a presumptive interaction between backpackers and information sources appear? The empirical material consists of interviews, held with eight backpackers, concerning their information use. The interviews reveal that a number of information sources are being consulted. The most commonly used sources identified in the empirical material are guide books, advice from other backpackers, fiction, TV programmes and periodicals. Among others, music was identified as a source of inspiration. The theoretical framework is the socio-cultural approach of Roger Säljö, which concerns how individuals act in relation to the social practice that they constitute a part of. Socio-cultural terms such as artefacts and mediation are very central in the analysis. The analysis pays particular attention to guide books as these were the most frequently used artefacts among the backpackers interviewed. In a final discussion it is observed that the respondents, even unconsciously, seems to be influenced by the artefacts consulted. It is also noticed that backpackers appear to be using information as tools within their social practice. The consequences of this may be direct, for example in the way in which a travel destination can be determined by the information and documents used by backpackers. / Uppsatsnivå: D

New Zealand has a well-established network of accommodations, transportation, and visitor activities developed specifically for backpackers. These tourists account for almost ten percent of the country’s international visitor expenditure. To date, the majority of backpacker research has focussed on the traditional market segment of student and youth travellers, though a few quantitative studies have also researched the needs and preferences of older travellers using hostels and backpackers’ accommodations. Though more than 50 percent of New Zealand’s international visitors are over age 40, few currently stay at this type of accommodation. Using New Zealand as a case study, this thesis explores, qualitatively, the perspectives of older backpackers: their self-perceptions, their travel motivations, their needs and expectations in accommodation. In addition, it examines the points of view of the owners of small, independent backpackers’ accommodations to gain their perspectives on hosting a multi-generational clientele and on what the implications might be of expanding this market. Key findings show that older travellers who use backpackers’ accommodations technically meet all Pearce’s (1990) original definitions of “backpacker” – they prefer budget accommodations, they are socially interactive, they travel independently and flexibly, they travel for longer holidays than do most, and they choose informal and participatory activities. However, these travellers reject the self-definition of “backpacker”, an impasse that presents a lexical challenge to both scholars and tourism marketers. The final section addresses the impacts and implications of “backpacker” nomenclature on baby boomer travellers, academia, and the backpacker industry at large.

New Zealand has a well-established network of accommodations, transportation, and visitor activities developed specifically for backpackers. These tourists account for almost ten percent of the country’s international visitor expenditure. To date, the majority of backpacker research has focussed on the traditional market segment of student and youth travellers, though a few quantitative studies have also researched the needs and preferences of older travellers using hostels and backpackers’ accommodations. Though more than 50 percent of New Zealand’s international visitors are over age 40, few currently stay at this type of accommodation. Using New Zealand as a case study, this thesis explores, qualitatively, the perspectives of older backpackers: their self-perceptions, their travel motivations, their needs and expectations in accommodation. In addition, it examines the points of view of the owners of small, independent backpackers’ accommodations to gain their perspectives on hosting a multi-generational clientele and on what the implications might be of expanding this market. Key findings show that older travellers who use backpackers’ accommodations technically meet all Pearce’s (1990) original definitions of “backpacker” – they prefer budget accommodations, they are socially interactive, they travel independently and flexibly, they travel for longer holidays than do most, and they choose informal and participatory activities. However, these travellers reject the self-definition of “backpacker”, an impasse that presents a lexical challenge to both scholars and tourism marketers. The final section addresses the impacts and implications of “backpacker” nomenclature on baby boomer travellers, academia, and the backpacker industry at large.

My thesis ethnographically examines the changing nature of backpacking for Westerners in Latin America amid a proliferation of mobile computing and social networking. While anthropological and sociocultural research on tourism is extensive, the social scientific literature on backpacking has, thus far, been largely unconcerned with Western Hemisphere countries and the effects of digital technology on this mode of travel. Recent findings suggest, however, that backpacking has currently moved beyond its niche roots as a subculture of independent traveling into a full-fledged tourist industry. My thesis investigates the Latin American backpacking scene to better understand if this is a global trend. The available literature further suggests that today’s backpackers are represented by various subgroups including older and less budget-constrained travelers known as “flashpackers.” Despite using the backpacker infrastructure, flashpackers’ disposable income and relatively expensive equipment places them somewhat beyond traditional backpacker categories. Drawing on ethnographic data collected over two separate multi-sited field sessions in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Colombia, I document the recent experiences of backpackers and flashpackers and evaluate how digital technologies inform and affect their travels.

Objetiva-se traçar um panorama do turismo estrangeiro independente e econômico, denominado backpacker, a nível mundial e nacionalmente, apresentando sua representatividade e taxa de crescimento no período de 1996 a 2000. Comparam-se as origens e os destinos tanto no turismo convencional quanto no turismo backpacker, compreendendo que há diferenças significativas entre os mesmos. Abordam-se os aspectos que possibilitam determinar o perfil desse segmento de turistas estrangeiros, como faixa etária, sexo, renda, nível educacional e origem, assim como as características das viagens que os backpackers estrangeiros empreendem pelo Brasil como duração, roteiro, meios de locomoção e principais atividades desenvolvidas. Provoca-se discussão sobre o tratamento dispensado pelos órgãos governamentais que estabelecem as diretrizes do turismo nacional a esse segmento de turistas estrangeiros, haja vista que o Brasil oferece condições apropriadas para atrair os backpackers e sua visita propiciaria aspectos econômicos, sociais e ambientais de nosso interesse: incentivaria a abertura de pequenos empreendimentos de capital nacional, as receitas geradas por esse público seriam de valor considerável, o intercâmbio sociocultural entre turista-comunidade seria ampliado, dar-se-ia maior valor aos artefatos produzidos localmente e a maior conscientização dos turistas às questões ambientais seria benéfica / The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of independent and budget-minded tourists from abroad, denominated backpackers, travelling around the world and in Brazil, presenting its level of representation and growth in the period from 1996 to 2000. A comparison about the origin and destination of the conventional and backpacking tourist is demonstrated, highlighting the significant differences between both. Profile of this foreign tourist market segment, comprising age, gender, income, education level and nationality, is demonstrated, as well as the characteristics of backpackers\' travelling around Brazil, referent their stay, itinerary, transportation and major activities. A discussion concerning government institutions directives for determining national targets in the tourism area as for this foreign tourist segment is demonstrated, whereby Brazil offers appropriate conditions to attract backpackers. Their visits is shown to favour economic, social and environmental issues, encouraging the opening of small businesses, income generation stimulated by these tourists, enhancing a large social and cultural interchange between the tourist and the community, adding value to products made in Brazil and raising the consciousness of tourists about environmental matters which are beneficial to everyone

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento CientÃfico e TecnolÃgico / CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / Viajantes independentes de longa duraÃÃo â conhecidos como backpackers, notadamente, pela indÃstria turÃstica internacional e como mochileiros, no Brasil â podem ser caracterizados, em linhas gerais, em relaÃÃo à qualidade nÃo-institucionalizada de sua prÃtica (COHEN, 1972). Eles assumem a organizaÃÃo independente de sua viagem, evitando, assim, a compra de pacotes e demais mediaÃÃes prÃprias das agÃncias turÃsticas. Ao configurar independentemente seus deslocamentos, buscam mobilizar valores como autonomia e flexibilidade, o que os permite, por exemplo, trocar itinerÃrios, desfazer planos e extender sua mobilidade por longos perÃodos. Saber quem, concretamente, sÃo os sujeitos desses deslocamentos, que posiÃÃes sociais assumem em suas sociedades de origem, compreender por quais motivos desejam experimentar perÃodos tÃo alargados em trÃnsito, como atribuem sentido a essa forma especÃfica de viajar e como vivenciam o retorno a seus paÃses de origem, sÃo algumas das disposiÃÃes que conformam os objetivos deste trabalho. Mais claramente, a presente tese tem por objetivo apresentar uma etnografia de viagens independentes de longa duraÃÃo, considerando para tanto o movimento material, bem como as polÃticas de significado (CRESWELL, 2006), empreendidas por seus sujeitos. Por movimento material deve-se entender os deslocamentos fÃsicos dos viajantes, a maneira crua, como define Creswell (2006), de atingir um ponto partindo de outro. Jà no que concerne Ãs polÃticas de significado, tem-se como horizonte de reflexÃo tanto as representaÃÃes partilhadas pelos sujeitos no que se refere Ãs suas jornadas quanto a prÃtica das mesmas, a experiÃncia do movimento sendo incorporada e valorada individualmente. O que apresenta-se aqui, portanto, à uma pesquisa cuja construÃÃo teve como matÃria empÃrica privilegiada as situaÃÃes concretas de interaÃÃo, as configuraÃÃes de relaÃÃes de troca, de tensÃo, de conflito, e, igualmente, os momentos de invenÃÃo, de criaÃÃo e de elaboraÃÃo de discursos presentes em uma â alegada â maneira singular de viajar.

Objetiva-se traçar um panorama do turismo estrangeiro independente e econômico, denominado backpacker, a nível mundial e nacionalmente, apresentando sua representatividade e taxa de crescimento no período de 1996 a 2000. Comparam-se as origens e os destinos tanto no turismo convencional quanto no turismo backpacker, compreendendo que há diferenças significativas entre os mesmos. Abordam-se os aspectos que possibilitam determinar o perfil desse segmento de turistas estrangeiros, como faixa etária, sexo, renda, nível educacional e origem, assim como as características das viagens que os backpackers estrangeiros empreendem pelo Brasil como duração, roteiro, meios de locomoção e principais atividades desenvolvidas. Provoca-se discussão sobre o tratamento dispensado pelos órgãos governamentais que estabelecem as diretrizes do turismo nacional a esse segmento de turistas estrangeiros, haja vista que o Brasil oferece condições apropriadas para atrair os backpackers e sua visita propiciaria aspectos econômicos, sociais e ambientais de nosso interesse: incentivaria a abertura de pequenos empreendimentos de capital nacional, as receitas geradas por esse público seriam de valor considerável, o intercâmbio sociocultural entre turista-comunidade seria ampliado, dar-se-ia maior valor aos artefatos produzidos localmente e a maior conscientização dos turistas às questões ambientais seria benéfica / The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of independent and budget-minded tourists from abroad, denominated backpackers, travelling around the world and in Brazil, presenting its level of representation and growth in the period from 1996 to 2000. A comparison about the origin and destination of the conventional and backpacking tourist is demonstrated, highlighting the significant differences between both. Profile of this foreign tourist market segment, comprising age, gender, income, education level and nationality, is demonstrated, as well as the characteristics of backpackers\' travelling around Brazil, referent their stay, itinerary, transportation and major activities. A discussion concerning government institutions directives for determining national targets in the tourism area as for this foreign tourist segment is demonstrated, whereby Brazil offers appropriate conditions to attract backpackers. Their visits is shown to favour economic, social and environmental issues, encouraging the opening of small businesses, income generation stimulated by these tourists, enhancing a large social and cultural interchange between the tourist and the community, adding value to products made in Brazil and raising the consciousness of tourists about environmental matters which are beneficial to everyone

Cette thèse analyse les mobilités privilégiées internationales à partir d’une lecture spatiale croisant deux groupes : les backpackers et les hivernants. L'objectif est de comprendre la diversité des rapports aux lieux produits par ces mobilités Nords-Suds principalement guidées par le loisir et de longue durée, dans le cadre d'une mondialisation croissante des modes de vie. Ces deux figures de jeunes itinérants (backpackers) et retraités séjournant l'hiver au soleil(hivernants), sont abordées de façon croisée à travers une enquête de terrain, déclinée respectivement en Thaïlande (Bangkok et Ko Phangan) et au Maroc (Agadir). Au croisement des études touristiques et migratoires, notamment autour des lifestyle migrations, les continuités et reconfigurations des rapports sociaux et des rapports de pouvoirs entre passage et appropriation de l’espace, permettent de saisir la dimension translocale des modes de vie contemporains. Cette thèse analyse finement les pratiques des backpackers et des hivernants dans les territoires du quotidien, les espaces métropolitains et les réseaux transnationaux. Avec les réseaux de sociabilité, ces pratiques témoignent d'une relation complexe à l'Ailleurs et l'Autre. L’ambivalence de ces rapports aux lieux, entre Ici et Ailleurs, requalifie les dualités classiques (tourisme - résidence, quotidien - hors-quotidien). L'imbrication des jeux de pouvoir favorise ces populations mobiles privilégiées dans la construction d'un chez-soi temporaire dans un Ailleurs. Au final, la thèse investit la notion de mondialisation à travers le croisement de ces deux figures de la mobilité. Celles-ci reconfigurent dans une dimension translocale les cadres structurants de lecture des sociétés, au-delà des interprétations uniquement individualistes des dynamiques contemporaines. / This doctoral research analyzes international privileged mobilities crossing two groups in a spatial perspective: backpackers and winter migrants. Mainly driven by leisure, those longtime North-South mobilities, enable to understand the diversity of relationships to places produced by the increasing globalization of lifestyles. Young travellers (backpackers) in Thailand (Bangkok and Ko Phangan) are crossed with retired snow-birds (winter migrants) in Morocco (Agadir). At the intersection of tourism studies and migrations researches, lifestyle migrations analysis question continuities and reconfigurations of social relationships and power games. Passing and appropriation of space reveal the translocal dimension of contemporary lifestyles. This dissertation studies practices of backpackers and snowbirds in everyday territories, metropolitan spaces and transnational networks. Practices and sociability networks underline the complexity of the relationship with Elsewhere and Others. Between Here and There, ambivalent relationships to places question the classic dualities between tourism and home, everyday and extraordinary. Interwoven power games enable those privileged mobile people to build a temporary home Elsewhere. In the end, globalization can be read through those two images of international mobilities. They translocally change the structural reading frame of societies, beyond only individualistic interpretations of contemporary dynamics.

Denna studie undersöker autenticitet och hedonism inom backpacking. Postmodernismen har lett till en homogenisering gällandede destinationer som backpackers besöker och aktiviteter de utför. Autentiska upplevelser blir således svårare att hitta samt urskilja på grund av den rådande massturismen. Denna studie mäter svenska backpackers uppfattningar och beteenden gällande autenticitet, med hjälp av en enkätundersökning som besvaras av 203 respondenter. Datainsamlingen presenteras i form av tabeller samt beskrivande text och analyseras med hjälp av ett teoretiskt ramverk som innefattar autenticitet, backpacking, hedonism samt välmående. Resultatet visar att svenska backpackers uppfattningar samt beteende har störst koppling till existentiell autenticitet och att den hedonistiska njutningen är en del av den moderna backpackern. / This study explores authenticity and hedonism in backpacking. Postmodernism has led to a homogenization in regards to the destinations that backpackers visit and the activities they perform. Authentic experiences are thus much more difficult to find and discern due to the prevailing mass tourism. This study measures Swedish backpacker's perceptions and behaviors regarding authenticity, using a questionnaire survey that is answered by 203 participants. Data collection is presented in the form of tables and descriptive text that is analyzed using a theoretical framework which includes authenticity, backpacking, hedonism and well-being. The result shows that Swedish backpacker's perceptions and behaviors are most closely linked to existential authenticity and that hedonistic enjoyment is part of the modern backpacker.