


Yet in most cases, the practice is illegal. Typically, southeast and south Asian destinations like Thailand, India and Indonesia have been the hotspots for these so-called begpackers. The term is a portmanteau of “begging” and “backpacking” and is usually used to negatively describe people who are asking the public for money to fund their travels. If you’ve ever seen a shaggy-haired young person selling woven bracelets or playing drums near a tourist attraction, odds are you are familiar with the concept of begpacking. He shared a picture of a tourist sitting on a busy road with a cup of change and a sign in front of them and wrote “ nature is healing, begpackers are back.” James, a comedian, is one of the posters behind the Instagram page Chaotic Hong Kong Expats. For more information about Global Discovery Vacations visit globaldiscoveryvacations.When Hong Kong resident Ashley James first started seeing “begpackers” on the streets of his city in spring of 2023, he had two simultaneous thoughts: leisure tourism had returned to Asia, and it was time to make some memes about it.

Global Discovery Vacations is a respected membership-based travel club offering its members access to condominium accommodations, cruise and tour vacations, a full-service travel agency, a concierge program, and other leisure benefits. GCI is the developer and owner of resorts in California, Florida, Tennessee and Colorado as well as owning and leasing numerous resort condominium units throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Caribbean. Considered a leader in the travel club industry, GCI offers the members of its Global Discovery Vacations club program a wide variety of leisure benefits and vacation options at more than 700 North American resorts. is based in Overland Park, KS, opening in 1996 as a travel club fulfillment and service provider. Alaska, the Western Caribbean, Mediterranean and Panama Canal Cruises are the most heavily booked cruises for GDV members. When it comes to cruise itineraries, GDV members make their preferences known as well. Family fun at the theme parks and day trips to the beach are considered the two primary draws to this area. Orlando still ranks high (3 rd place) as a favorite destination among the GDV members. The “House of the Mouse” certainly hasn’t lost its appeal either. Despite the abundance of GCI’s destination locales, many members continue to return to Myrtle Beach year after year. Combine that with the beach and GDV members just can’t seem to get enough. Members’ reviews note the abundance of shows and shopping as contributing to the allure. The second most requested destination was Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

We have some terrific cruises that circumnavigate the islands and some top-notch condominium accommodations in that region for our members to access.” “So, it’s no surprise that the Caribbean Islands have captured the dreams of our travel club members. “The pull of the tropics never grows old,” said Tom Lyons, President and CEO of GCI. Global Connections Inc. (GCI), a pioneer in the travel club industry, has announced that the members of Global Discovery Vacations (GDV) have selected the Caribbean as their favorite destination in 2017.
