29 September 2008

Backpacker numbers rise despite economic woes

According to a report by ABC, the global economic downturn does not seem to have stopped backpackers from visiting Queensland's tourist capital.

The Gold Coast Tourism Corporation says more than 130,000 backpackers, or adventure travellers, visited the city in the past year - an increase of more than 11 per cent on the previous year.

The corporation's Ben Pole says the backpacker market included a range of travellers.

"So you have your grey nomads drifting and becoming part of this adventure travel or backpacker segment, you also what we call 'flashpackers' - these are people have got the money but are choosing to spend it on efficient travel and putting the dollars that they spend into adventure travel experiences," he said.

Mr Pole says most backpackers come from the UK, Germany and New Zealand.

"We'd expect that the backpacker segment will continue to increase because it's regarded as an efficient way to travel," he said.

"The large sums of money aren't necessarily spent on things such as accommodation or transport." "The money that is spent in this segment is really dedicated to the attractions, the activities, the experiences."

A Report by The Mole