Some say young backpackers are likely to be future leaders, and Oilin Wong, the city's Youth Hostels Association general manager, says they are right.
'Backpackers are more courageous,' said the travel lover.
Catching the plane to Australia in 1976 turned a new page in her life. 'It was my first trip abroad and kindled my interest in travel,' she said.
During her studies at the University of Canberra, she often toured the land Down Under with friends.
Soon after graduation, the then 23-year-old bought a Europass and headed to Europe alone.
'A backpacking tour is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You plan your own itinerary and read the map to find the way. It is an experiential culture,' she said. 'You will know the place better even if you get lost.
'Travel does not mean rushing to as many places as possible in a short time. It is about knowing another culture and meeting new people.'