The Backpacker and Scotland: A Market Analysis

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the backpacker market and thus the characteristics and motivating factors of backpackers in order to establish the potential of this market. Subsequently through empirical research, based on standard survey techniques to investigate the extent to which backpackers and thus backpacking in Scotland evidences similar characteristics and to explore their expenditure patterns with the overall objective of establishing broad indicators as to whether this particular form of tourism activity holds potential as a market for promotion and development in Scotland. The findings of this research lead to the proposal that backpackers are a potentially valuable niche market with specific and complementary advantages over other more general forms of tourism which Scotland should be seeking to develop.