English

초록

Backpacking Abroad as a Niche Market of Hospitality A Focus on the Experiences of Korean Backpackers in the Experience Economy (Bae, 2010) is an investigation into the cultures and values of Korean backpackers. Under the concept of the Experience Economy and the consideration of its main underpinning for customer experience management, Bae observes a niche area of hospitality - Korean backpackers’ overseas backpacking which she recognizes it as a business activity rather than a form of travelling style. Bae sees it as “a process in the creation of experience” which can be considered for development of experiential marketing. Careful examination on physical and emotional experiences of the Korean backpackers has convinced that “the backpacking experience can be determined as a sustainable differentiator” (4). Bae begins by noting the importance of the experiences in the Experience Economy which “consumers are indeed in demand for a high value of experiences” (11). She believes that their demands have shifted from in an atmosphere of ‘having’ to ‘being’ and from ‘experience like’ to ‘authentic’ with the impact of globalization and rise of capitalism in Asia and developing countries. Attention is drawn to investigate Korean backpackers attracted by their fast growing numbers, the fact that they are the nations with the dynamic economic growth in one of the Asian countries and the influence of Korean wave. The discussion focuses on how the experiences of Korean backpackers are created and what may be learned by vitalizing the creation of their experiences to give an introduction of the backpackers with the Eastern cultures and values. Bae links the study of backpacking phenomenon in and evolution of hospitality industry in emergence to the Experience Economy in order to provide relevancy of its predictability by constructive mapping of literature review. Firstly, the Korean backpacking phenomenon is explained by tracing its root to the libera