Abstract
In independent travel studies, the evolution of traveler culture has recently been one of the main research focuses. One aspect of the evolution considers the outer appearance of the travelers. An appearance may reflect traveler preferences and activities, and may also portray membership in a traveler subculture. In a survey conducted in Kerala, India, the dress and styles of independent Western travelers was studied by two samples: 30 interviews and 118 photographs. The survey was a comparative follow-up of another such study made in 1990s, in Rajasthan. According to the Kerala results, the travelers had become both more culture-sensitive and professional. Casual styles dominated in the increasingly touristic middle-class scene, together with a significant preference for outdoors attires. A countercultural ethos had survived, barely, in a secondary role, without deep commitment. Overall, the comparative analysis revealed both changes and similarities, in terms of women's dress codes and dressing according to occasion. Interestingly, the development toward a digitally connected flashpacker culture, often thought to be a major recent trend of independent travel, had gained unexpectedly limited ground in India.
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