Leisure patterns and trends

Leisure Patterns and Trends

  • Understanding Leisure Patterns and Trends helps to understand how leisure activities have evolved over time, the factors influencing these changes, and anticipate future behaviours.
  • Leisure patterns look at how leisure is distributed across different demographics, while trends analyse change in leisure activities and choices over time.
  • Leisure patterns and trends are often influenced by societal changes, economic factors, technology advancements and changes in personal preferences.
  • Societal changes such as changes in average working hours, gender roles, or family structures directly influence how, when, and what kind of leisure activities are pursued.
  • Economic factors like changes in income levels or financial security can determine who participates in different leisure activities. For instance, high-income individuals may participate more in high-cost leisure activities like overseas travel.
  • Technology advancements can create new forms of leisure, like video gaming or virtual reality experiences, and influence participation in traditional forms of leisure.
  • Changing personal preferences and value systems can also cause shifts from conventional leisure activities to new ones. For instance, rising environmental concerns might lead to a trend towards eco-tourism or outdoor recreational activities.
  • Increased digital/online leisure: With the proliferation of the internet and smart devices, there has been a rise of digital forms of leisure, such as social media, online gaming, and streaming services.
  • Active and health-focused leisure: As health and fitness awareness grows, activities such as gym workouts, yoga, outdoor sports and active travel have become popular choices.
  • Experiential leisure: There has been a shift from material consumption to experience consumption, with people seeking out unique and personalised experiences, such as gourmet cooking classes or immersive travel experiences.
  • Sustainable and ethical leisure: With rising environmental consciousness, there is an increasing interest in sustainable activities like organic gardening, hiking and eco-tourism.

Impact of Covid-19 on Leisure

  • Collapse of international travel: Travel restrictions have heavily limited overseas travel, affecting a number of leisure activities, especially tourism.
  • Increase in home-based leisure activities: With home confinement, activities like reading, online gaming, home workouts, and online courses experienced a surge.
  • Impact on outdoor and group activities: Activities like going to cinemas, attending concerts, and team sports have been negatively affected due to social distancing measures.
  • Digital adaptations and innovations: Many leisure activities have gone digital. Virtual tours, online workout classes, and digital art exhibitions became popular.