Growth of Leisure Time (DP IB Geography)

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

Factors affecting leisure time   

• 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

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

• 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

• Site is an important consideration because, in urban areas, land can be expensive

• Participation can be either individual or in a group