Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
• The London population, reflecting their lifestyle, higher earnings and habits, spent £364
more per year than the UK population on eating out, reflecting access to the 19 per
cent of the UK's cafe and restaurants located within the London area.
• They also spent £93 a year more on cultural activities and £31 a year more on audio-
visual equipment than their UK counterparts.
Interestingly, Londoners spent £156 less per year on package holidays (although up to
25% of the population are unable to afford a holiday). In terms of leisure-related sites
(restaurants, cafes, public houses, bars, clubs, hotels, camping sites, libraries, museums
and sport and recreation sites), London has 13 per cent of the total. Not surprisingly,
London employed 16 per cent of all leisure-related industry jobs in the UK in 2001, with
the largest proportion (32 per cent) in theatres and cinemas.
Therefore, it is evident that through regional analysis, which epitomises the
geographer's interest in places, and differences and similarities in both time and space,
regional differences exist in the demand for leisure in the UK, a feature often replicated
in many other countries. These differences highlight the importance of geographical
research in understanding demand at different levels. However, one of the most important
contributions has been made through site-specific studies of demand, notably site
surveys. For this reason, the remaining focus of this section on recreation examines
recreation site surveys.
SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF DEMAND AT THE MICRO LEVEL:
SITE SURVEYS
Within the growing literature on geographical studies of recreation in the 1960s and
1970s (see e.g. Rodgers (1973) on demand), site surveys have become the most
documented (a feature reiterated in Chapter 6). As Glyptis (1981b:277) indicated,
'numerous site surveys—mostly set in the format devised by Burton (1966)…established
the characteristics of visitors and their trips. Social profiles, trip distances, modes of
transport and the duration, purpose and frequency of visits are well documented (Elson
1977)'. Glyptis (1981b) also noted that the 1980s were ripe for behavioural analysis
which had been neglected in relation to site surveys. While reviews of site surveys are too
numerous to list (see Harrison 1991), novel research methods which examine the
behaviour rather than the socioeconomic characteristics of recreationalists have remained
less common in the published literature, although some reports have probed this area (e.g.
Locke 1985). Glyptis' (1981b) analysis of one 242 ha site—Westwood Common,
Beverley near Hull (UK)—is one such example. By employing participant observation
methods to examine an undulating grassland area of common pasture land 13 km from
the urban area of Hull, the spatial distribution of site use by recreationalists was observed
and analysed. The main recreational activities observed at the site were sitting,
sunbathing, walking, picnicking, informal games and staying inside one's car. On a busy
Sunday in summer, up to 2000 visitors came to the site. Using dispersion maps,
observational mapping permitted the visitor distributions to be located in time and space
while length of stay (using car registration data) and maps of use for different days and
times complemented traditional social survey methods to analyse visitor behaviour. The
site features, access points, availability of parking and location of landscape features and
