ABSTRACT
Travel for Entertainment Entertainment can be defined in a variety of ways and can include a multiplicity of activities. In this section we focus on a selection of specific and fairly consistently recorded activities that can be compared over time. The main activities included are visiting cinemas, theatres, concerts and similar events, eating out at a restaurant and related activities. Quantitative data reviewed in Chapter 4 demonstrate clearly that although the frequency with which such social activities are undertaken has changed over time, the distances over which people travel, and the characteristics of trips, have altered relatively little (Tables 4.10-4.13). Moreover, changes in frequency are not consistent. Thus whilst some forms of entertainment, such as eating out, have become more common, others such as visits to the cinema have declined, especially for the young. The frequency with which people undertake travel for entertainment is also strongly linked to the life course, and the activities of adults with young children are especially constrained in this respect (see Chapter 9). Data on travel mode and travel companions mirrors evidence presented elsewhere. Whilst there has been a decline in the use of public transport, an increase in car use, and a decrease in young children travelling alone, it remains the case that many trips are over short distances, are undertaken on foot, and that young children and adolescents have not completely lost their independence.
