Leisure, Tourism, and Sport Lecture Notes

Definitions

• Leisure: Freely chosen activities during non-work time.
• Sport: Physical activities with rules, often competitive.
• Tourism: Travel away from home for leisure, excluding day trips.
  • Niche tourism includes ecotourism, heritage tourism, sustainable tourism, educational tourism.

Categorizing Sporting Activities

• Team sports: Generally less expensive.
• Individual sports (tennis, golf): More costly.
• Football: Most popular globally.
• Unusual sports: Fencing, archery.

Factors Affecting Participation in Sport and Tourism

• Leisure Time: LIIs and families have more leisure time (~1-1.5hrs more).
• Location: Regional towns have more leisure time, remote regions less.
• Gender: Australian males more leisure time than females.
• Age: Elders (65+) and youth (0-25) have more leisure time.

Trends in Tourism

• Growth: From 400m in 1990 to 1.2b in 2015.
• COVID-19 Impact: Decreased travel.
• Population and Middle Class Growth: Increases in China.
• Budget Airlines: Increased travel opportunities.

Tourism in Perth, WA

• Primary Resources: Natural attractions not built for tourism.
• Secondary Resources: Built infrastructures like stadiums, leisure centers.

Tourism Hotspots

• Combination of primary and secondary resources.
• Examples: Sydney Harbour, Gold Coast, Uluru.

Costs and Benefits of Tourism

• Costs: Cultural dilution, congestion, seasonal low-paid jobs.
• Benefits: Cultural enrichment, conservation incentives, economic income.
• Thailand Specific: Issues with sex industry, economic vulnerability, inflation, animal abuse.

Carrying Capacity

• Definition: Maximum number a location can accommodate.
• Environmental and Perceptual: Limits before damage or excessive noise.

Role of TNCs in Tourism

• Hotels and Air Travel: Provide accessibility, may lead to local business competition.
• Cruise Ships: Appeal to older demographics, environmental impact.
• Future Influences: Social media, international security, diaspora growth.

Sphere of Influence

• Definition: Area from which a facility draws support.
• Examples: Optus Stadium's wide influence.

Women in the Olympics

• Increase in Representation: From 10% in 1950s to 50% in 2016.
• Reasons: Post-war feminist movements.

Paralympics

• History: From 1948 for wounded soldiers to 4500 athletes in 2016.
• Challenges: Less attention than Olympics.

Political and Cultural Influence of the Olympics

• Unity and Division: Can unite or divide countries.
• Economic Impact: Boost morale during downturns.
• Propaganda: Used politically, e.g., Sochi 2014.

Large Scale Events

• Benefits: Economic boost, socialization opportunities.
• Costs: Drug use, environmental impacts, overcrowding.

Case Studies

1. China and Czech Republic: Change in leisure due to middle class growth and internet.
2. Thailand: Tourism hotspots and niches.
3. Venice and Monkey Mia: Carrying capacity management.
4. Bhutan: Sustainable ecotourism growth.
5. AFL (Australian Football League): National sports league significance.
6. Vancouver Winter Olympics 2010: Costs and benefits, legacy of infrastructure and unity.