Young, useless and sponging – The CURSE of the BEGPACKER
FOR years, backpackers who run out of money while half way around the world have been spotted begging in the street to get people to fund their travels.
These so called “begpackers” often face huge backlash but now the island of Bali is officially cracking down on the problematic “tourists”.
In an official statement, Setyo Budiwardoyo from the island’s immigration department has said that they are now reporting these begpackers to their embassies, according to Detik, as caring for them should be the embassy’s responsibility.
He said: “We have seen many cases of problematic tourists, lately they are either Australian, British or Russian.
“We tend to report these cases to the relevant embassies, so that they can oversee their citizens who are on holiday.”
The immigration official said that while they had previously looked after these travellers, the cost of living must now be borne by their respective embassies.
However, it’s unlikely they will face further action unless they’ve been involved in criminal acts, in which case they could be deported and banned from the country.
Bali is among one of the most popular destinations for backpackers.
While most visitors are genuine tourists, some have been accused of scrounging off their host nations.
Locals and tourists alike have shared photos of the travellers, who are often seen begging for money or selling wares on the street to fund their holidays, hence the moniker of begpackers.
They often come from wealthier western nations and beg in relatively poor countries.
Some are even shamelessly asking for money while posing with cameras worth hundreds.
Some have even been accused of running scams, by pretending to have lost their debit card and needing money to get home – only to carry on travelling with the money they make.
