By Michael O’Regan, Glasgow Caledonian University
Tourism management is becoming dominated by positivistic, bureaucratic and regulatory discourses. The search for ‘quality tourists’ has spread from managerial origins to destinations. Authorities have taken market-oriented reforms because of their belief in their existence. The divisions of tourists have exacerbated post-pandemic.
These quality tourists are said to have high spending and offer high economic returns to businesses and destinations.
The Thai Tourism Minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn believes the pandemic provided the country with an opportunity — to attract ‘high end visitors’ who want holidays with minimal risks. He argues that ‘One person can easily spend as much as five by staying at the finest hotels.’ Supattanapong Punmeechaow, a deputy prime minister and minister of energy, argues that ‘Instead of relying on 40 million tourists to generate 2 trillion baht ($60 million) in revenue, we will turn to focus on quality tourists who can spend more.’
New Zealand tourism minister Stuart Nash describes a ‘high quality’ tourist as a ‘high net-worth’ tourist as someone who flies ‘business class or premium economy, hires a helicopter around Franz Josef [Glacier on the South Island’s west coast] and eats at a top-end restaurant.’
The Tenerife Tourist Board launched a new digital marketing strategy in 2022, aimed at ‘curious’ and ‘quality’ travellers. The Hawaii Tourism Authority seeks to attract ‘high quality tourists,; while Tourism Fiji’s Corporate Plan for 2022 to 2024 pledges to ‘attract and expand high value customer segments.’
A replacement approach is often implied, but also explicitly made by authorities. Destination politicians hope that high-quality tourists, often termed ‘high-net-worth individuals’ (HNWIs), will replace those they perceive to be of ‘low’ or even, the ‘wrong’ quality. Backpackers are mentioned as belonging to that category.
While sometimes constructed as an economic burden when framed as begpackers, backpackers are presented as responsible for various social problems. Rodrigo Duterte, former President of the Philippines, noted in 2022, that backpackers ‘who don’t really have money and carry only a bag with them’ ‘immediately look for a nice spot and do drugs there.’
Viktor Laiskodat, Governor of East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, notes there ‘are many poor ones in NTT, we are tired of seeing these peasants.’ Backpackers are also framed as contributing to overtourism, covid outbreaks, abandoned vehicles, and the drug trade.
New Zealand tourism minister, Stuart Nash said he would replace vans of backpackers in self-contained vehicles. He argues they ‘pull over to the side of the road and … shit in our waterways’ and ‘travel around our country on $10 a day eating dried noodles.’ Luhut Pandjaitan, coordinating minister for maritime affairs and investment in Indonesia, said that post-pandemic: ‘We will filter tourists,’ as ‘We don’t want backpackers to come so that Bali remains clean, where the people who come are of quality.’ Thai Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul notes that ‘We cannot let people come to Thailand and say because it’s cheap.’
As fear of tourists with the ‘wrong’ quality becomes widespread after pandemic opening-up, the rhetoric of quality tourists has also increased. Dominant economic discourse normalises a view of tourism as about economic dividend. New policies have followed. Politicians promise that quality comes with sophisticated and responsible travel, and tourists who ‘plan their trip so arrive informed; they take time seeking out a unique … cultural experience.’
The rhetorical power of quality also connects to ideas of progress and sustainable tourism. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) promotes the country as a ‘Quality Leisure Destination.’ New Zealand created a ‘Premium Partnerships Programme’ to reward tour companies who bring in HNWIs.
In 2020, the Cayman Islands launched the Global Citizen Concierge Program (GCCP). This gives remote workers the opportunity to make the British Overseas Territory their home. Those earning upwards of $100,000 (€98,666) per year can apply for a two-year visa for an annual fee of $1,469 (€1,449).
In June 2020, Fiji launched ‘Blue Lanes’ for ‘yachters looking to escape the pandemic in paradise’. Countries, including Vietnam and Indonesia, have limited visa lengths. Shortened visas make them unattractive to backpackers seeking extended overland travel experiences.
Rhetoric, leading to policy changes, such as price increases to national parks and monuments, has spread fear amongst businesses and communities serving backpackers. From Thailand to New Zealand, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), believe their voices have been silenced.
They argue backpackers are high-quality tourists. They stay longer, visit more areas and engage in more activities than other tourists. Stuart McDonald, founder of Southeast Asia travel website Couchfish argues: ‘While budget travellers often best manifest the trickle-down effect, putting money directly into the hands of locally owned and run small and medium enterprises.’
They often choose sustainable forms of public transport. They eat at local markets and stay at local guesthouses and home stays over franchise hotels. They have less environmental impact compared to ‘quality’ tourists with high carbon travel and activities. As high spend tourists tend to stay in international standard accommodation etc., economic leakage occurs. The money they spend often leaves the destination.
In comparison, backpacking is less prone to leakage, helping profits stay within the destination. Many economists, policy makers and international businesses assume that tourists are a commodity and economic unit. A cost-benefit calculation and the utilitarian framing of tourists is, however, problematic. In addition, the link between quality to ideas of progress and sustainability remains tenuous and untested.
A new book, Backpacking Culture and Mobilities: Independent and Nomadic Travel (2023) introduces new perspectives on backpacking. The twelve chapters show the cultural and social worth of backpackers. The authors draw in destinations such as Australia, China, Indonesia, Iran and India, and regions, such as Europe and Central America. They explore the participation of specific populations.
These include Iranian females, Chinese youth and Israeli families. They find backpackers are both rare and essential to destination development and resilience. They recommend destinations seek to attract a diversity of tourists to support a diversity of businesses, such as SMEs.
As backpacker experiences can be transformational and life-changing for individual backpackers, destinations and societies, the book finds that the focus on quality must encompass more than simply economic indicators, and evaluate quality in terms of long-term environmental, social and cultural impacts.
Michael O’Regan, PhD, is a Lecturer in Tourism and Events for the Department of Fashion, Marketing, Tourism and Events at Glasgow Caledonian University. His research interests include tourist, urban, historic, future, alternative, lifestyle, slow and cultural mobilities, backpacking, overtourism and Chinese outbound tourism.
Follow Tourism Geographic to see our latest articles
Tourism Geographic is sponsored by the Tourism Geographies journal:
Twitter: @TourismJournal & https://twitter.com/TourismJournal
Facebook: https://facebook.com/TGeography
