Backpackers: The next generation? - Scholarly Commons Home

Backpackers: The next generation?
the other guests but also the owners. It’s another depth, another level.
They invest more time, especially if they’re a little more obscure (Kim).
Hosts agree, though one commented,
I think some people who have backpackers [accommodations] haven’t a
clue about people, they have no people skills or communication or even the
little things that people would like. If people are travelling and are alone
perhaps, or they’re ill, they just want to feel welcome in the house. Some
people are just money driven or they think they can get their own
managers in and they don’t get good results (105).
The thickness of this data indicates why qualitative responses offer an important
dimension otherwise lacking in the literature. Cave et al.’s (2007, p. 232)
quantitative study asks two specific questions about the importance to guests of
“lots of travel information” and of “availability of booking office for local trips”.
Overall, the first question is ranked sixth in importance by both the NZ and
Scottish respondents; the second question is ranked seventeenth. But that study
does not reveal the potential importance of one on one contact and personal
recommendations versus the simple availability of posters, brochures, and a
phone line to make reservations.
Holiday planning and booking
Commercial information sources
Older backpackers are FITs in their planning and booking patterns. They are far
more flexible and independent than many young backpackers who, upon arrival
in New Zealand, are encouraged to buy pre-packaged hostels, transport, and
activities. Every respondent uses the internet daily for work, email, and news.
All had used the internet for at least some of their holiday research or booking;
ten of them booked air online, and three went through a travel agent. Of these,
one used his corporate agency and the others had different reasons for doing so.
I used a travel agency; I don’t know why, because it’s so far away?
(laughing) It was stupid, really (Ingrid).
I went on the internet, then to a travel agent who specialises in this type
of trip and they beat [the price] (James).
87