ABSTRACT
What exactly is meant by the terms leisure, recreation and tourism, and how are they related? Leisure is often seen as a measure of time, and usually means the time left over after work, sleep, household chores and personal obligations have been completed (Figure 1.1). In other words, leisure is free time for individuals to spend as they please. This does, however, introduce the problem of whether all free time is leisure. A good example of this dilemma is whether the unemployed feel that their free time is in fact ‘enforced’ leisure, or whether volunteers at a sporting event see their activity as
‘serious leisure’. This has led to the view that leisure is as much an attitude of mind as a measure of time, and that an element of ‘choice’ has to be involved. In fact the relationships between work and leisure have changed over the last two centuries in most of the world; the Industrial Revolution brought about a sharp contrast between the home, the workplace, and the leisure environment, which became more widely separated as transport facilities improved. In pre-industrial societies the pace of life is attuned to the rhythm of the seasons rather than being governed by the clock, and personal mobility is limited. In post-industrial countries such as Britain and the USA, one aspect of the so-called ‘24/7 culture’ is the blurring of the boundaries between work and leisure, and the work-life balance is increasingly under threat as a result. Highly paid executives are expected to be in contact with the offi ce during their vacations, while some corporate employers provide leisure opportunities based at the workplace.
