Growth of Leisure Time (SL IB Geography)

• 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

work life balance

worst work life balance

Factors affecting leisure time   

• Paid work includes all work that is paid for
• Unpaid work includes all household work

• 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

• 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

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

• 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

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