Western beggars in Asia

When Hong Kong native Ashley James saw Western backpackers begging at the beginning of the year, he thought "leisure tourism is back in Asia".

And James wanted to make a humorous image of the incident by posting a photo of a tourist sitting on a busy street with a cup of change and a sign asking for money. "Nature is healing (the pandemic is slowly passing). The beggars are back," James captioned the photo. James's website posts photos that poke fun at many issues. But he realized that the topics that get good interaction are often about Western backpackers asking for money.

A Western backpacker begs for money in Hong Kong. Photo: Instagram/Chaoshongkong

Begpacker (Western beggar), a combination of begging and backpacking, refers to Western tourists who travel on their own, begging from locals for money to travel. Thailand, India, and Indonesia are fertile lands for beggar tourists in Asia.

Joshua Bernstein, a lecturer at the Institute of Languages at Thamassat University in Thailand, has observed begpackers in Bangkok. They are not rich, stay in cheap hostels for a few dollars a night, and eat street food instead of going to Michelin-starred restaurants.

Stephen Pratt, dean of the hotel management department at Rosen College of the University of Central Florida, USA, conducted research on begpackers while studying for his master's degree in Hong Kong with a group of friends. He pretended to be a Western tourist begging for money.

The study yielded results. Pratt's team found that tourist beggars basically fell into three categories: buskers (or those who play an instrument, perform something), sellers (jewelry, souvenirs), and those who just sit around waiting for someone to give them money.

Stephen Pratt disguised himself as a Western backpacker and begged for money in Hong Kong to support his research. Photo: CNN

According to CNN , it is unclear exactly when begpackers first appeared, but they are not currently receiving much sympathy. Many people believe that tourists should have enough money to cover their trip before thinking about traveling. Pratt believes that this viewpoint will spark debate: should only those with means be allowed to travel internationally? "Tourists are taking on more responsibility than before," he said.

Will Hatton, founder of budget travel advice website Broke Backpacker, rejects the negative view of begpackers. He doesn’t approve of people who sit on the side of the road begging, but believes that people who play music or sell things to earn money to travel are truly brave, daring to explore life in a different way.

Hatton believes that backpackers are frowned upon because they come from wealthy countries. James believes that the dislike for beggars comes down to one thing: begpackers feel entitled to do so.

Hong Kong is expensive. Rents are so high that many locals live in capsule apartments. “People can’t even afford to live in Hong Kong. Why would you come to one of the most expensive places in the world and ask us to buy a bracelet?” James said. Traveling is a luxury, he added. People who say “give me money to travel” are stupid.

Asia has been slower to reopen after the pandemic than Europe and North America. It is unclear whether these beggars are starting to return or whether their era is over. Photos of Western backpackers begging have slowly reappeared online in Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong.

But Professor Bernstein says people are increasingly shifting from asking for money in person to online fundraising, such as by setting up a fundraiser. The way they receive money is also changing. Instead of relying on the kindness of strangers, some travelers are turning to digital content creators. Based on their online following, they ask their fans to support them financially.

Anh Minh (According to CNN )

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