Would you give them money to travel? The rise and fall of Hong Kong’s ‘begpackers’
- Some busk but others simply stand with signs asking for money, or smile to ‘give back positive emotions’
- Cold shoulder from locals who see them as young, idle drifters is driving most away from city, especially with street acts dying out
About a year ago, they seemed to be everywhere in Hong Kong – tourists holding signs on the streets asking for donations to fund their round-the-world trips.
Dubbed “begpackers”, they were on footbridges, outside train stations, and on busy pavements busking, selling knick-knacks or simply holding a note asking for money to support their wanderlust.
The trend, which is also growing worldwide and has popped up in neighbouring countries such as Singapore and Malaysia, has sparked controversy, with some media depicting begpackers as young drifters who refuse to work and are just taking advantage of cheap travel in Asia.
Critics of the practice argue money should be given to those who are really in need, rather than to serve the travel dreams and pleasures of an able-bodied individual.
The debate on the matter sparked a study by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, which sought to explore the begpacker culture.
Results of the study – titled “Encountering begpackers” – were published two months ago in journal Tourism Recreation Research. Associate Professor Denis Tolkach, co-author of the report, says: “A lot of mainstream media reports and social media posts condemned these begpackers without actually speaking with them to learn their real stories.
“Most people would just ignore them. Some gave funds because they were convinced that the begpackers were foreigners in trouble, while others did so because they thought busking begpackers made the atmosphere more interesting.”
