Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
NATIONAL EVALUATIONS OF RECREATIONAL DEMAND:
INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES
The most useful survey of national surveys of leisure time and the recreational activities
undertaken may be found in Cushman et al. (1996a) which reviews international data on
leisure and the existence of cross-national comparative research. It is also useful since the
origins and role of participation surveys are reviewed, a feature subsequently updated by
Parker (1999) in the UK context.
United Kingdom
Since the publication of Patmore's (1983) detailed review of data sources for analysing
leisure and recreation patterns in the UK, Veal (1992) updated the situation pointing to
the GHS and the role of the Australian Commonwealth government in commissioning the
first National Recreation Participation Survey in Australia in 1985 to 1986.
The most authoritative source is
Social Trends
33 (ONS 2003). This uses the UK 2000
Time Use Survey to identify the amount of time spent on leisure. The most popular sport
that people participated in was walking/hiking. Almost a quarter of women engaged in
this activity in the month before the survey. Only 19 per cent of men had undertaken this
activity. Keep fit and swimming were the most common activities for women to
participate in, with nearly half surveyed not participating in any form of sport. For men,
snooker, swimming and cycling were the activities most frequently undertaken.
In terms of passive leisure pursuits, attending a 'cultural event' (i.e. an art gallery or
museum) comprised 22 per cent of attendances in 2001-2. In contrast, 57 per cent of
respondents had been to the cinema, 24 per cent had attended plays, 12 per cent attended
a performance of classical music, 6 per cent the ballet, 6 per cent the opera and 5 per cent
contemporary dance. What is notable is that cinema attendance had nearly doubled while
attendance at other cultural events had been stable. However, attendance varies by socio-
economic group and age group. For example, the rise in cinema attendance was highest in
the 15-24 age group, with 50 per cent who reported that they had been to cinema once a
month compared with 15 per cent of those aged 35 and over. Also, children aged 7-14
have been a major growth market in 2000 and 2001, particularly at multiplex complexes.
In terms of day trips as a pursuit, the 1998 UK Day Visits Survey provides data on
round trips from home to locations in the UK and the 2002-2003 report provides the
most accessible data.
In 2002-2003, the UK Day Trips Survey found that 80 per cent of adults in Great
Britain had made a leisure day visit in the past two weeks, with 50 per cent visiting a
town or city, 21 per cent the countryside, 10 per cent to the seaside and coast and 8 per
cent to a forest or woodland area. A further 6 per cent had visited water with a boat and 5
per cent had visited the water without boats (TNS 2004).
In terms of tourism, domestic holiday trips grew 20 per cent between 1995 and 1999,
with an estimated 102 million trips in 2001, down on 106 million trips in 2000. The most
popular type of accommodation used in 2001 was staying in the home of friends or
relatives (41 per cent) with 24 per cent staying in a hotel, motel or guesthouse. This was
followed by static caravans (8 per cent) and rented accommodation (house, flat or chalet)
(8 per cent). The most popular destinations for domestic tourism were south-west
