This optional theme focuses on ways in which people in a growing number of global contexts make use of their leisure time. As more people join the “global middle class”, they have disposable incomes allowing participation in tourism, including international travel and different types of sport. Sport can also be an important use of leisure time for people on low incomes who cannot afford to participate in tourism.

While tourism often has an urban focus, rural areas provide another important geographical setting for touristic activities, including walking, enjoying wilderness, doing extreme sports or visiting heritage sites. The uses made of places vary greatly, depending on physical geography, history and level of economic development.

Through study of this optional theme, you will develop your understanding of processes, places, power and geographical possibilities. You will additionally gain understanding of more specialised concepts including consumption (of landscapes), carrying capacity and threshold (in relation to environmental stress) and sustainability (in relation to long-term management of touristic resources).

DEFINITIONS

leisure : any freely chosen activity or experience that takes place in non-work time.

tourism : travel away from home for at least one night for the purpose of leisure.

sport : a physical activity involving a set of rules or customs. The activity may be competitive.

TASK 1: LEISURE AND YOU

1. Calculate how many hours each day you dedicate to:

   • Unpaid work (cooking, cleaning, looking after someone, walking a dog)

   • Paid work or study

   • Personal care (sleeping, washing, eating)

   • Leisure

2. How does this compare to global averages for OECD countries? Suggest some reasons for the differences between different places.

TASK 2: TOURISM AND YOU

1. Create a map showing the places you have travelled to as a tourist. Share this with the class.

2. What was the best place you travelled to and why?

3. Describe the trend of world tourism arrivals between 1995 and 2016 [3 marks]. Answers below.

MARK SCHEME

• World tourism arrivals increased between 1995 and 2016 [1] from 525m to 1.25 bn people [1]

• Tourism arrivals decreased slightly in 2002 and 2009 [1]

TASK 3: SPORT AND YOU

1. List the different sports you participate in and the sports you like watch.

2. Share your answers with the class.

SYLLABUS OVERVIEW

TASK 1: DEFINING LEISURE

Note and learn the definition of leisure. Research multiple examples of leisure activities.

Leisure - any freely chosen activity or experience that takes place in non-work time.

TASK 2: GROWTH OF LEISURE TIME

1. Examine the graph below.

2. Describe the changes in annual hours worked between 1970 and 2006.

3. Suggest reasons for the changes you have observed.

TASK 3 : CHANGING PATTERNS OF LEISURE TIME

1. Study the graph below.

2. Describe and explain the differences in how time is used in different parts of the world.

3. Suggest reasons for these differences.

TASK 4: LEISURE TIME AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Describe the relationship shown on the graph.

Economic prosperity in different places across our world today is vastly unequal. People in Switzerland, one of the richest countries in the world, have an average income that is more than 20-times higher than that of people in Cambodia. Life in these two countries can look starkly different.

When considering such differences in prosperity, a natural question is: who works more, people in richer countries like Switzerland or in poorer ones like Cambodia?

Looking at the available data, the answer is clear: workers in poorer countries actually tend to work more, and sometimes much more.

We see that in the chart here, with GDP per capita on the horizontal axis and annual working hours per worker on the vertical axis.

Countries like Cambodia (which is the country in the very top-left corner) or Myanmar have some of the lowest GDP per capita but highest working hours. In Cambodia the average worker puts in 2,456 hours each year, nearly 900 more hours than in Switzerland (1,590 hours) at the bottom-right of the chart. The extra 900 hours for Cambodian workers means longer work days and many fewer days off. (Source)

TASK 5: REASONS FOR GROWTH IN LEISURE TIME

Read the article below and summarise the main points in your notes

Explain three reasons for increasing leisure time:

1. Reduction in the length of the working day and working week - allows people to participate in leisure activities

2. Increasing salaries - allows people to work less and have more time for leisure activities

3. Increase in disposable income - allows people to work less e.g part time

4. Early retirement among elderly populations - increased leisure time over the course of your life

5. Increase in self-employment and flexible working hours - more people can include leisure activities into their working week

Tourism - travel away from home for at least one night for the purpose of leisure. Day trips could also be included in a definition of tourism.

TASK 1: CATEGORIES OF TOURIST ACTIVITIES

1. Explore the different types of tourism activities via this link.

2. Briefly describe each activity with reference to possible cost, duration and destination.

TASK 2: CATEGORIES OF SPORTING ACTIVITIES

The term site in geography refers to the land upon which something is found or an activity takes place.

1. Write 12 different sporting activities on to post it notes

2. Categorise these by cost, then popularity, then site.

TASK 1: Describe the relationship between economic development and number of hours worked (3 marks).

Mark scheme:

• Identification of negative relationship e.g. “The relationship is negative, as GDP increases, number of hours worked decreases.” (1 mark)

• Reference to data from the graph e.g. “From 10-20,000 GDP per capita = 2000-2200h worked whereas 40-60,000 GDP per capita = 1400-1600h worked” (1 mark)

• Reference to an anomaly e.g “Singapore is an anomaly with 90,000 GDP per capita and 2350 hours worked” (1 mark)

TASK 2: Suggest reasons for the relationship you have observed

Factors influencing the growth of leisure time:

• shorter working day

• shorter working week

• increase in wages

• increase in disposable income

• increasing number of leisure activities

• earlier retirement

• technology e.g. washing machines

• technology e.g. leisure on the Internet

TASK 3 - LEISURE TIME

Find some images which illustrate how people use leisure time in your country.

How is leisure today different to leisure in your grandparents generation?

TASK 4 - CHANGING LEISURE IN AN MIC - CHINA

Read this example and create a case study summary of the changes to leisure time for different groups of people in China.

TASK 5 - CHANGING LEISURE IN AN HIC - SWITZERLAND

Read the PDF and summarise how leisure time has changed in Switzerland.

Screenshot examples of data to help explain how leisure time has changed in Switzerland.

TASK 6 - CHANGING LEISURE IN YOUR COUNTRY (OPTIONAL)

Research changes to leisure time in your country. How have historical factors influenced the time people have for leisure and what people do with that time e.g. pre/post communist society, pre-post Iranian revolution.

Present your country case study.

TASK 7 - EXAM PRACTICE

Analyse three geographic factors, other than accessibility and affluence, that determine levels of participation in one named sport you have studied. [2 + 2 + 2]

MARKSCHEME

Participation may be on a local, national or international scale.

Candidates are expected to consider three distinct factors. 2 marks are available for each developed factor up to a maximum of 6 marks.

The range of answers is wide, but could include socio-economic factors, education levels, funding, investment in infrastructure, marketing, role of governing body, media exposure, or facility requirements.

The answer may focus on the numbers of nations participating in international sports or individuals participating in sports.

There may be other valid approaches, such as levels of spectator participation.

Inquiry question: How do human development processes give rise to different leisure activities?

AFFLUENCE / INCOME & TOURISM PARTICIPATION

GENDER & TOURISM PARTICIPATION

Importance of the role of women in the global tourism industry:

• 54% of people employed in the tourism industry are women (UNWTO, 2010)

• In some countries, tourism employs nearly twice as many women as other economic sectors such as Thailand, Panama, and Latin America's nations.

• Women participate as 60–70% of the workforce in the hospitality and tourism sector(International Labour Organisation, 2010).

• Women are more self-employed in the tourism sector than the broader economy in many countries, especially in Europe (UNWTO, 2010).

Challenges faced by women in the global tourism industry:

• Women are commonly oriented to un-skilled and marginalised jobs.

• In hospitality, a large proportion of women work in room services and kitchen, and this proportion made up approximately 74%, 70%, and 62% in Turkey, Tunisia, and Spain, respectively (Karkkainen, 2011; Pinar et al., 2011; Santero-Sanchez et al., 2015).

• There is an underrepresentation of women is in the leadership and professional positions in the tourism sector, where women are employed in clerical, spa, and services ones.

• The jobs that women work in the tourism sector are described as low-paid ones, as according to statistics, women earn less than their male counterparts by 10–15% in this sector (UNWTO, 2010).

Source

STAGE IN LIFE CYCLE & PARTICIPATION IN TOURISM

PERSONALITY TYPES & TOURISM

Cohen (1972) identifies four tourist types¹:

1. Organized Mass Tourist is the least adventurous tourist that spends most of his time in her comfortable environmental bubble1 throughout her trip. The trip is organized in advance and the tourist has no decisions on it.

2. Individual Mass Tourist is similar to the organized mass tourist, except that the tour is not entirely fixed. The tourist has a certain amount of control over her time and itinerary, and is not bound to a group. However, all the major arrangements are still made through a tour agency.

3. Explorer arranges her trips alone and tend to visit an un- usual destination but still seeks comforts in accommodation and transportation. She tries to mix with the locals and dares to leave the environmental bubble.

4. Drifter goes further away from the environmental bubble and keeps away from tourism establishments such as hotels or tour coaches. The drifter has no fixed itinerary or timetable and makes the trip decisions herself.

PLACE OF RESIDENCE AND TOURISM

AFFLUENCE / INCOME & SPORTS PARTICIPATION

Household income is one major indicator of sports participation. In urban or poorer areas, schools often provide fewer sports options and opportunities for their students than suburban or more affluent areas.

Additionally, youth from homes in the lowest income bracket ($25,000 or less) are at least half as likely to participate in sports such as football, lacrosse, and swimming than youth from wealthier households ($100,000 or greater).

Simply put, families that can afford more can allow their kids to play more.

AGE / STAGE IN LIFE CYCLE & SPORT PARTICIPATION

GENDER & SPORTS PARTICIPATION

PLACE OF RESIDENCE & SPORT PARTICIPATION

EXAM PRACTICE

1. Explain why participation in one named sport might increase over time for women. [3]

2. Explain why participation in one named sport might increase over time for low-income groups. [3]