Growth of Leisure Time (DP IB Geography)

Revision Note

Growth of leisure time

  • Leisure can be defined as

    • The different types of activities people participate in, such as watching TV, participating in sports, reading books etc

    • A specific state of mind, such as engaging in pleasurable activities

    • The amount of free time away from work 

  • Leisure pursuits can be:

    • Informal

    • Formal

    • Short term

    • Long term

  • Leisure can also include hobbies 

  • Leisure time is not equal for people, it depends on their wealth and gender

  • Personal care includes sleeping, eating and drinking

  • Work-life balance is the division of time between working and family or leisure time

Bar chart showing Italy with the highest score of 9.4, followed by Denmark 8.6, Norway 8.5, Spain 8.4, Netherlands 8.3, France 8.1, Sweden 8.1, and Germany 8.0.
work life balance
Bar chart ranking 14 countries by an unidentified value. Mexico has the lowest value at 0.4, and the United Kingdom has the highest at 5.6.
worst work life balance

Factors affecting leisure time   

Factor affecting leisure

Impact

Higher-income countries

More opportunities for extreme day trips where people fly to another city for one day

Paid activities and hobbies are common activities

Lower-income countries

There are fewer opportunities for leisure activities that have a cost, e.g. paying for the gym

For some indigenous people, leisure time activities may include storytelling and playing traditional music

Gender

Men generally have more leisure time in Western nations

In Europe and the USA, men have more than 9 hours per week more leisure time than women

Women’s status in society may affect how much leisure time they have

Age

In Higher-income countries, leisure activities are targeted at people who have retired

  • Paid work includes all work that is paid for

  • Unpaid work includes all household work

Changing purpose of leisure time

  • The growth of leisure time is the result of the following factors:

    • Developments in technology (such as washing machines and freezers) means people spend less time on household chores 

    • An increase in self-employment and flexitime

    • The growth of leisure activities

    • An increase in disposable income

    • An increase in wages

    • More early retirement

    • A reduction in the length of the working week

    • A reduction in the length of the working day

    • Growing desire by the wealthier population to escape the pressures of urban living

    • Wide-bodied jet planes, large cruise ships and faster trains will widen economies of scale and time-space convergence

    • Increase in advertising of leisure activities

    • Social media/influencers promoting leisure activities

Categorisation of Tourist Activities

  • The beginning of tourism does not have a start date

  • Ancient civilisations travelled past their borders

    • Archaeologists have found artefacts from ancient civilisations in places beyond their border

Types of tourism

  • There are many different types of tourism

  • The main types are shown in the diagram below

Diagram titled "Types of Tourism", with categories: Ecotourism, Heritage, Sustainable, Mass, Medical, Adventure, and Niche, each described with its key aspects.
Types of tourism

Catergorization of tourism

  • Tourism can be categorized in several ways

Primary and secondary resources

  • Tourist resources can be divided into two categories - primary and secondary

    • Primary resources are pre-existing attractions for tourism, such as the climate, cultural and heritage sites

    • Secondary resources include entertainment and accommodation

  • Secondary resources will develop in areas where primary resources form the main attraction for tourists

Urban areas

  • In urban areas, primary resources are usually found in the area around the Central Business District (CBD)

  • Secondary resources may be spread more evenly through the urban area but many hotels and restaurants tend to be focused in the CBD

  • Some secondary resources may be found on the rural-urban fringe for example theme parks

Rural areas

  • In rural areas, the landscape itself may be the primary resource but there are also ancient ruins, castles etc… located throughout the landscape

  • Secondary resources in rural areas tend to be built around the primary resources for example a castle may have a cafe, shop to provide for tourists

Categories of sport

  • Tourism can be categorized into sport and tourism

Sport

Group 1

Athletics and rugby

Group 2

Dancing and yoga

Group 3

Outdoor sports

Group 4

Swimming, cycling and gym

Group 5

Racquet sports and running

Group 6

Bowling

Group 7

Cricket, pub sports such as pool

Group 8

Boxing, martial arts, and weightlifting

Group 9

Minor team sports

Group 10

Water sports

  • Some sporting activities can be expensive and require dedicated space available:

    • Swimming in a pool usually requires a swim membership

    • Outdoor bowling needs a dedicated site

Popularity of sports 

  • The popularity of sports differs by country

  • It is measured by how many people participate or the number of interested people

World map showing the most popular sport in each country. Majority of countries favor football (soccer), while others prefer sports like cricket, rugby, and wrestling. Key included.
Most popular sports
  • Site is an important consideration because, in urban areas, land can be expensive

  • Participation can be either individual or in a group

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