Veblen and the theory of the backpacker leisure class : status seeking and emulation in the Australian contemporary tourist economy

In 1899 Thorstein Veblen wrote a seminal monograph on the subject of consumption and leisure. His work, The Theory of the Leisure Class, is one of the most enduring examples of status seeking individuals’ conspicuous consumption and conspicuous leisure practices, particularly when applied to the tourist industry, and furthermore, is still relevant in today’s economic climate.This paper develops an independent theory of backpackers and how they can be perceived as undertaking conspicuous consumption and conspicuous leisure practices. This is done using Veblen’s (1899) work as a foundation. Qualitative methods using in-depth interviews and participant observation techniques are employed to obtain data from forty-one participants. The findings serve to highlight the fact that Veblen’s thesis is as relevant today as it was when it was written in 1899.