Unit 1 - The Leisure Industry Today

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Overview

Importance of the leisure industry
Leisure is very importanct in a range of ways. You should examine this by investigating:
• the health benefits of the leisure industry
• the economic benefits of the leisure industry

You will need to study the UK and three other European Countries from the following list:

• Portugal
• Spain
• Italy
• France
• Ireland
• Germany
• Switzerland
• Austria
• Denmark

How will I be assessed?

Level 1 - provide a simplistic or limited outline of the importance of the leisure industry. Europe is refered to in a general way

Level 2 - provide example of the importance of the leisure industry. You attempt to compare the UK with the rest of Europe.

Level 3 - give a detailed range of examples to show the importance of the leisure industry and make appropriate comparisons between the UK and other countries in Europe.

Level 4 - give a wide range of examples to show the importance of the leisure industry and consistently make comparisons between the UK and other countries in Europe.

Assignment Structure

1. Write an introduction to this section. You may want to do this last.
2. Investigate the importance of the leisure industry in terms of health benefits. This is both mental and physical health.
3. Investigate the importance of the leisure industry in terms of economic benefits such as employment, % GDP and consumer spending in leisure in the UK and your three European countries.

Learning Resources

Starting Points:
Overview of the leisure industry:
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Explore_job_sectors/Sport_and_leisure/overview/p!ebeeed
Take a look at future trends here:
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Explore_job_sectors/Sport_and_leisure/future_trends/p!efXXXl

Importance in the UK - by time use:
Here is one page that contains information about leisure - can you draw any conclusions about the importance of leisure from it? http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=7

Health Benefits of Leisure:
Health benefits of leisure:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1145/is_n1_v32/ai_19066896
Benefits of leisure and recreation:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Benefits-of-Leisure-and-Recreation&id=1468218
Green Gym - example:
http://www.cvni.org/greengym/
Studies on the effects leisure has on mental health:
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/7/299
Importance of leisure on our mental and physical health:
http://www.roadsni.gov.uk/index/cycling/cycling-health_and_leisure.htm

Economic Importance of the leisure Industry (consider income / money made from the leisure industry in the UK and your European Countries / employment rates):

UK
Break down of family spending per week:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/nugget.asp?ID=284
Employment Statistics:
http://www.topuniversities.com/study_abroad/study_abroad_news/article/subject_guide_leisure_tourism/

Paper based sources:
Collins leisure studies text book
Name:16,17,18, 19
Brief Review:economic value,social value, future growth

Europe
Growth in Europe - p18 significant growth in the leisure industry
Examples given on p18 of Collins Leisure Studies text book.

Germany - household expenditure - leisure:
http://stats.oecd.org/viewhtml.aspx?queryname=18153&querytype=view&lang=en

France - household expenditure - leisure:
http://stats.oecd.org/viewhtml.aspx?queryname=18152&querytype=view&lang=en

Spain - household expenditure - leisure:
http://stats.oecd.org/viewhtml.aspx?queryname=18169&querytype=view&lang=en