Earls Court Targets “Flashpackers”
According to a YHA press release:
YHA is gunning to capture a share of the capital’s fast-expanding ‘flashpacker’ market when YHA London Earl’s Court is officially re-launched today.
The busy cosmopolitan Youth Hostel was severely damaged by fire in April last year but has now been completely repaired and upgraded.
What’s a flashpacker, you ask? I didn’t know either, but according to Flashpacker Diaries…
They are individuals who are perhaps a little older than the post-Uni, pre-life 21 year old backpacker, who have a larger budget but less time. Flashpacking is for those people who prefer a little quality and have the means to pay for it.
The Evening Standard describe them more succinctly as “thirty-something backpackers who do the budget hotel thing but jet around on internal flights or helicopters because they can’t be bothered with 20 hour bus trips”. In short, they’re the opposite, in every respect, to “young people of limited means”.
Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. They’ll still be offering regular “backpacker” accommodation as well, and there’s plenty of (relatively) dirt cheap accommodation to be found in the capital for the not-too-fussy. It could be good news for groups too, many of whose members are older and richer than your average backpacker. Let’s just hope YHA don’t go all out after this new market segment only to be squeezed out by cheap hotel chains entering the sector.
Seems YHA is barking up the wrong tree again, and the Evening Standard has got its definition round the wrong way.
Yes Flashpackers are usually 30 somethings who have more money to spend, but, “Flashpacking” was originally a term ascribed to those who fly budget, stay luxury and are generally on a whistle-stop weekend away.
Flashpackers are the ones who perhaps did the hostelling thing years ago and now have the money to stay somewhere better. They don’t mind flying sardine class with a popular low cost airline, because they definitely prefer to spend their money on a luxury hotel than on the flight.
Is YHA changing its identity again? Not a budget hotel chain anymore? Is it now a luxury hotel chain?
I don’t think so.