**TL;DR: Begpacking – begging the locals of travel destinations to fund your trip – promotes a parasitic style of travel that deflates foreign economies.** “Begpacking” – begging the locals of the countries you visit to fund your international escapade – has become increasingly practiced in the last decade. As [Adventure.com](https://adventure.com/begpacking-worst-travel-trend/) journalist Ben Groundwater describes, “It seems to be most prevalent in Southeast Asia, in countries such as Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, though you might see it in South America as well. Western tourists arrive in these places with no money and just take their chances, placing their trust in the kindness of strangers.” Busking and selling handmade trinkets on street corners are consensual purchases that might even add verve to a city. But taking handouts from the locals of hard up countries to fund a personal holiday across their homeland is about as reprehensible as it sounds. The very reason why southeast Asian countries let sweaty, waddling masses of westerners across their borders each summer is to generate tourism revenue. The tourist enjoys a relaxing exotic holiday, while the country receives a small chunk of the tourist’s yearly salary. Yet begpackers fling themselves into new and exciting locations to prey off the goodwill of the locals, asking with no hope of ever reciprocating. Virtually every backpacker plans out their trip and purchases plane tickets. They have enough money to feed themselves at night. And if they don’t, they should seek out their home country’s social services, rather than willfully become a liability for a foreign people. The money that one young man or woman panhandles to fund their gap year could have found its way into the hands of local social services, NGOs, or truly destitute individuals. Begpacking is a truly parasitic and harmful way of seeking a free ride, and begpackers should be turned over to their embassies.

**TL;DR It is not for us to say how people should spend their money** The most commonly thought image of beg packing is surely some Caucasian man with dreadlocks asking for locals in South East Asia to fund his travelling. However, some of these people do provide services such as entertainment or hand made crafts. If someone is providing a legitimate service that brings some kind of value to the local area then there is no ethical or moral dilemma. Particularly if it is something that local people can enjoy, use or learn from. While it is common for this kind of backpacking to take place in less economically developed countries that does not mean that all citizens of these countries are economically poor. Middle or upper-class or even working class citizens of any country have the right to spend their money how they choose. The trend of begpacking would not continue if they received no money at all and it is not within our rights to tell people how to spend their own money.