Backpacking tourism: An exploratory investigation into the consequential effects post-university, backpacker travel can have on graduates’ future employability

Backpacking has been a popular means of travel amongst graduates for decades. Much research has been conducted on several different aspects of the backpacking experience over the last thirty years. One aspect which has not been explored by researchers however, is that of graduate employability upon returning from an extended period of backpacker travel. This study aims to identify whether or not post-university backpacking has a positive or negative effect on future employability. Questionnaires were distributed to 101 students from The Robert Gordon University and telephone interviews were conducted with twelve local graduate employers. The results from the questionnaires were analysed using SPSS statistical software package and further tests were conducted in order to identify any significant results. The results from the telephone interviews were subjected to the qualitative analysis method known as pattern matching. The main findings from the study show that students and employers share the view that independence is developed whilst backpacking and yet they differ in terms of which skills are important to the workplace. Overall, there is a significant difference between the two samples in terms of the overall effect that backpacking has on future employability chances. Recommendations are made concerning further research into the different methods of backpacker travel and whether personality traits play a more significant role in the backpacker experience.