Travel motivation has been a central topic of tourism literature for decades. While many travel motivation theories have been developed, this study is concerned with conceptualizing backpacker motivation within the Travel Career Pattern (TCP) (Pearce and Caltabiano 1983; Pearce 1988, 1993; Pearce and Lee 2005) framework. Using the TCP framework, this study will conceptualize backpacker travel motivation in relation to travel experience. Also, this study could provide further empirical corroboration for the TCP theory.