Backpack tourism annotated bibliography example

What is backpacker tourism and is it a good form of tourism for the host community?

Backpacker tourism
The term backpacker tourism refers to a form of independent low cost international travel in which the tourists carry backpack bags. They are characterized by cheap lifestyles, use of public transport and extensive interactions with the local community. Of course, it is a very important form of tourism that should be promoted because of its benefits to the host nations. The following is my annotated bibliography for this topic:

Elizabeth, S. & Demand, M. (2012) European Backpacking Tours. Travel Tips Index.

In this article, Elizabeth and Demand report on the emerging trends of backpacking tours amongst the Europeans. In their opinion, this form of tourism is gaining prominence because of the benefits it offers both to the backpackers themselves, host governments and the local populations. Most of the people, particularly the low income earners, prefer to spend their money sparingly. Hence, they opt for a cheaper option that will help them develop a saving culture for their future benefits. However little they spend during their tours really help their hosts.
According to this article, this form of tourism may be a very expensive affair. I think this is due to the fact it has some disguised charges. Even if these tourists live in considerably low standard facilities, they end up spending a lot of money in these paces. For instance, while the backpack tourists in Australia spend up US $. 5, 440, their conventional counterparts only spend US $. 3, 300 during a single visit. This simply translates that they have a greater contribution than the conventional tourists who take a very short time in these destinations. Surely, the whole of this money remains in the hoist country.
At the same time, backpackers also act as a constant source of income to the host countries. Unlike the conventional tourists who only make trips during festive seasons, these backpackers usually organize their tours at any time of the year. This is beneficial to their hosts since it acts as a constant source of income to them. Hence, the local investors do not perceive tourism as a seasonal venture because they will be assured of getting a constant source of income.
I would like to conclude by accepting Elizabeth and Demand’s assertion that this kind of tourism is gaining prominence amongst the current European populations. It’s true that it benefits the host countries in many ways. In fact, many developing countries are progressing because of tourism, which has of course become the back bone of their economy.
Alexandra, F. (November 2012) Finding Peace in South Africa November 2012 issue of National Geographic Traveler Magazine.
This article was written by Alexandra Fuller to report on the adventurous visit she undertook in South Africa. As a backpacker, she gives accounts of the experiences she had in the various towns she toured. As a result of her interactions with the locals, she came to know about the plight of the poor citizens in this progressively developing African country.
According to Alexandria, backpacking tourism has benefited a lot of people in South Africa. Really, even if this country is considered the most developed in the continent Africa, its population is still far much behind their European or American nations. Amid all these, the tourism department has not done a considerable work in uplifting the lives of the poor citizens. As a youthful tourist, she took an opportunity to freely mingle with both the locals and other fellow backpacking tourists.
She reports that the backpackers have done a commendable job in uplifting the life of these poor people. Because of their simple nature of lifestyle, many sectors of the economy have benefited especially the small scale entrepreneurs. Many of these tourists visit rural areas and small towns. As a result, they utilize the food and accommodation facilities from here. Their dishes are not imported since they can comfortably rely on the local cuisines. This benefits the local producers.
Conclusively, these youth are beneficial to the host countries in that they positively contribute to the development of cultural practices of the locals. Because of their unrestricted interactions, they get to exchange cultures. This is beneficial because it helps in the exchange of cultures hence making relations be stronger and more cordial.

Hampton, M. P. (2012) Backpacker Tourism and Economic Development Perspectives from the Less Developed World. London: Routledge.

Hampton wrote this article to give an insightful coverage of the historical development and current trends in European backpacking tourism. In his own accounts, he reports that the phenomenon of backpack tourism since its discovery has been spreading to many countries including the developing ones since 1960s. Because of this expansion, backpack tourism has immensely contributed to the economic growth of the areas where t has become prominent. However, Hampton suggests that more still has to be done in order to make it appealing to all the people.
Truly, this form of tourism has benefited the local population in many countries. Because of its concentration in countries like India, Indonesia, Thailand and Latin America, the lives of the locals have greatly changed. Its presence in these countries has economically empowered the natives. As he argues, the idea of the backpackers spending a longer time in these destinations ends up bringing a lot of financial benefits to the local businesses. During most of their activities, they exclusively depend on local services. This also impacts on the growth of domestic industries in such countries.
However, despite all this, Hampton says that these backpackers at times go astray to negatively influence the local communities. This may occur in instances when these adventurers introduce new traits which may be contradictory to the local traditional practices. For instance, many of them tend to show disregard to the religious doctrines of the locals. Unfortunately, such conducts may land them in problems because they may be interpreted as blasphemous. In the long run, they may suffer immensely. They may be arrested and end up spending a considerable time in jail.
In conclusion, it is important to note backpack tourism has benefited the Third World Countries a great deal. Even if many people believe that it is a cheap Endeavour, it’s actually an expensive affair. However, it may at times be so difficult for these tourists to catch up with the diverse cultural practices of the locals. Therefore, in such a case, they should be more dynamic and consultative.