Backpacking in China: A Netnographic Analysis of Donkey Friends’ Travel Behaviour

Abstract

'Donkey friends', a nomenclature term in tourism that originated from the Chinese words "lu you", refer to an emerging market of independent travellers in China. This study examines the characteristics of donkey friends' travel behaviour by taking the five criteria of the backpacker definition (Pearce, 1990) as a benchmark. Using the netnographic data collected from two online donkey friend communities, the study presents a clear picture of donkey friends' travel behaviour and reveals differences in comparison with western backpackers. The behavioural peculiarities can be partly explained by contemporary cultural and social forces shaping the Chinese society. They are interpreted as the product of traditional Chinese culture, new emerging individualism, and developing social conditions.