SIGNIFYING PRACTICES AND THE CO-TOURIST

Within the paradigm of tourist studies there has recently been an acceptance of the democratization of tourism and consumption. Missing from the notion of the democratization of tourism is the role of status building through the creation of cultural capital enhancing experiences. While tourist spaces may be becoming democratized, the relationships between tourists within those spaces are not. Increasingly tourists are relying on the performance and presence of other tourists who have similar interests and motives, what we call the role of the co-tourist, to facilitate the tourist experience. This paper addresses the importance of recognizing status and consumption for the study of tourism, posits the notion of a co-tourist, and ends with some reflections on the co-tourist in Santa Barbara, California.