Research: the life changing benefits of backpacking

Photo of a hiker capturing the view over the bridge in Annapurna Range on Himalayas, Nepal

The science is in, people, and it looks like backpacking isn’t just an easy excuse to take a year of work and chill overseas for a while.

Which is absolutely why we THOUGHT we did it when we were younger. But apparently, we were actually challenging ourselves emotionally, building on our self-esteem and problem-solving skills.

At least, that’s what Professor of tourism at Perth’s Edith Cowan University, Sam Huang found when he set out to research the effects of backpacking on individuals.

According to the ABC, Huang, along with academic colleagues in China, surveyed 472 Australian, American, European and Chinese backpackers. Their results indicated that taking time off work to travel could be a valuable exercise in personal development.

“It’s not really so pleasure-driven; if you go, you need to face all the difficulties of being in a different country,” Huang told the ABC.

“It’s not so easy. It’s physically and emotionally challenging.”

91 per cent of the Westerners who participated in the study, said they believed their ability to identify and solve problems had improved through their backpacking experiences, 80 per cent said it even raised their confidence and 60 per cent said it improved their ability to manage time and money.

“We believe that when people travel to different parts of the world, especially when they travel outside their cultural comfort zone, they will see something different and that will give them a different perspective,” Huang said.

“It’s not a waste of time, it’s not a waste of money, it’s a worthwhile investment … because you can grow your self-confidence and you increase your self-efficacy, which is important in your workplace.

“And you increase your self-esteem which is quite important to maintain your mental health.”

Not only that, but Huang also believes employers should change their perspective of people who have taken time out to travel.

“If you gain those kinds of life skills, that would definitely benefit the workplace if people have such skills.

“If you can manage yourself you can definitely manage in the workplace.”

“If people become more confident and they can enjoy their life, then they have all the required life skills to live a happy life, so we may save our social cost later on.
“It’s a personal gain and it’s also a societal gain.”

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