Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Plate 1.1:
Cambridge, England. Which
of the people in this High Street scene
are tourists or recreationalists?
Researchers need to carefully
differentiate between recreationalists
and tourists.
TOURISM, RECREATION, LEISURE AND MOBILITY
Tourism, recreation and leisure are generally seen as a set of interrelated and overlapping
concepts. While there are many important concepts, definitions of leisure, recreation and
tourism remain contested in terms of how, where, when and why they are used (Poria et
al. 2003; Butler 2004). In a review of the meaning of leisure, Stockdale (1985) identified
three main ways in which the concept of leisure is used:
• as a period of time, activity or state of mind in which choice is the dominant feature; in
this sense leisure is a form of
• an objective view in which leisure is perceived as the opposite of work and is defined as
non-work or residual time
