Backpacker Heaven

Abstract

This article explores the changing cultural dynamics of “amenity-rich” touristic landscapes in Sydney, Australia, focusing on the specific group of young budget travelers known as backpackers. The article also considers the consequences of diverse mobilities, including contemporary forms of travel, for the identities and social relations of places and communities. It also addresses recent suggestions that the focus of analysis should be turned away from fixed sites (field, society, community), to instead account for the flows and connections that transcend borders and boundaries. The article also considers the differential status given to various mobilities. At a time of escalating fears around “illegal” migration (refugees and asylum seekers), the expansion of tourism trategies, particularly for independent travelers, illuminates the highly uneven nature of transnational mobilities.