WHY INVESTIGATE?

• Definite reasons why we become concerned with the concepts of recreation and leisure

1 Value of recreation (tourism as a subset)

$

How much does it cost to gain the attention of 90 million Americans and one billion people around the globe?

• "It's a little bit of keeping up with the Joneses," said Smithe, one of an estimated 2.5 million Americans purchasing a new television for Super Bowl Sunday, based on results of a recent survey. "Our friends' jaws are going to drop when they see this.“

• $10,000 65 inch high def plasma tv

2005/06

• Anheuser-Busch2006 spending: $26 million for 10 30-second spots during the game, at about $2.6 million each.2005 spending: $24 million for the same amount of airtime.

• Anheuser-Busch produced about 3.7 million Bud and Bud Light special edition bottles marked with a Bud Bowl Detroit logo

2008• The average cost for one 30-second spot

during Super Bowl XLII was $2.7 million, Fox, the News Corp-owned network that broadcast the Super

Bowl.

• Last year, the big game was the highest rated TV show in the U.S. with more than 93 million people tuning in

– Nielsen

• Sports bets in Nevada for the years 1982 to 2001. Source: Christiansen Capital Advisors, LLC.

• 1982 - $415 million 1983 - $692 million • 1984 - $929 million 1985 - $886 million • 1986 - $899 million 1987 - $1.01 billion • 1988 - $1.31 billion 1989 - $1.4 billion • 1990 - $1.67 billion 1991 – $1.87 billion • 1992 - $1.80 billion 1993 - $2 billion • 1994 – $2.13 billion 1995 - $2.4 billion • 1996 - $2.48 billion 1997 - $2.43 billion • 1998 - $2.26 billion 1999 - $2.47 billion • 2000 - $2.32 billion 2001 - $2.04 billion

• Overall, Nevada's legal sports wagering represents less than 1 percent of all sports betting in the USA

• In 2006, $2.43 billion was legally wagered in Nevada's sports books; the National Gambling Impact Study Commission (NGISC) estimated that illegal wagers are as much as $380 billion annually.

• Monday August 4, 2008

• Reports -the federal and Ontario governments in Canada are moving towards legalizing Las Vegas style sports betting. – Toronto Star

• Revenues in Canadian casinos have declined as have revenues in US casinos and the casinos are looking for ways to increase business.

• Legalized sports betting would be especially beneficial in the casinos that border the US in Niagara Falls (which attracts players from New York) and Windsor (which attracts players from Detroit).

Canada – selected data

• Annual sales by commodity, all retail stores

$ millions 2005

lawn and garden products 25,190• Sporting and leisure goods 12,830• : Statistics Canada

Factors that Affect Participation

Time – impact on life

Leisure time has increased in our society for each individual• with the exception of this decade we assume

that this long term trend should continue

INDUSTRIAL WORKWEEK SINCE 1850

• Late 1800’s

• Early 1900’s

INDUSTRIAL WORKWEEK SINCE 1850

• 1920’s

• 1950’s

INDUSTRIAL WORKWEEK SINCE 1850

• 1980’s to present

2003• Americans are already working more hours than at

any time since the 1920s. • Some 63 percent of Americans log more than 40

hours a week, according to a new survey by the Internet travel company Expedia.com. Two other polls found that nearly 40 percent of Americans work more than 50 hours per week.

• Americans work 2.5 more weeks a year on the job than the Japanese and up to three months more than the Europeans. The average middle income family now puts in four months more on the job in total hours each year than in 1979.

USA 2009

• The median number of leisure hours available each week dropped 20% in 2008, from 20 hours in 2007, to an all-time low of only 16 hours this year.

• This continues a trend which has seen America’s median weekly leisure time shrink 10 hours - from 26 hours per week in 1973, the first year tracking started

• Harris Interactive

• By generation, Generation Xers (those aged 32-43) are working the most hours (55 each week), followed by 50 hours each week for Echo Boomers (aged 18-31) and Baby Boomers (44-62). As many Matures are retired, they are only working 15 hours each week.

• .

• In 2008, Americans increased their work week one hour, yet claim to have lost four hours of leisure time.

• Where did the rest of the time go?

• As the American economic situation worsened, people who were worried about their jobs spent more time “just checking in” via computer or wireless device.

• This was not considered as time spent working, nor as leisure time - it landed instead in a nebulous grey area.

Canada• In between 2000 and 2004, employment

increased 8.1%, while the total number of hours worked rose only 4.3%.

• This increase in hours lost was attributable to

• With these assumptions - Leisure time assumes about 25% of an individuals time

• Leisure is also seen as an important social force that shapes and individuals attitude toward life.

• It is seen as an opportunity or challenge for an individual

• Association with the constructive use of free or discretionary time

Complications

• Factors of population growth - general increase in the total amount of free time

• Factors of change - labour movement, technological innovation, trade-off of money for time - change and increase in the amount of the individuals free time

Time Packaging

Daily Leisure Time

• Normally small pieces of time (breaks) - with one exception

• Evening (or after work)

• Planning up to the 1980’s tended to focus on males (their participation rates were higher - background and available time)

• Females

– Assumptions that more free time during the day (less complicated)

– Evenings needed for household operation

– Scheduling and services (babysitting, relevant activities) revolve around this

– This is an approach that represents (one partner working, children) about 10% of the Canadian population

Other Complications• Introduction of flex times/staggered work hrs

– impact on start and end times

– original intent to allow for more flexibility and reduce travel pressure

– end result with a high population (Toronto)

Weekly Leisure Time

• Greater block of ‘useful’ time

– Weekend

– Cultural concept of a ‘common pause day’

Transport

Prior 1840's Less affluentwalked

25 - 30 k

More affluentcoaches

30 - 80 k

1840's More affluentrail

80 - 150 k

1850's Less affluentrail

80 - 150 k

1890's Less affluentbike

30 - 60 k

1900's More affluentautomobile

80 - 150 k

1930's Moreaffluentplane

100 k +

1950's Lessaffluentautomobile

250 k +

1960's Moreaffluent jets

150 k +

1970's Lessaffluent jets

150 k +

Impact

‘Breakations’• Push for ‘mini-vacations’ directed around the weekend - add day or two either side– evidenced in

the 3 or 4 night packages to destinations (Vegas, Caribbean)

No. of nights: 4 Departing between: 22 Jan 06 - 22

Jan 06 Departs:Toronto Destination:Las Vegas Deal Ends:Last chance to book - offer ends 15 Jan Includes 4 nights return airfare, accommodation and transfers.

Problems

• For the majority of the population (and this also applies to greater or lesser degrees to all the time packages) the problem is that the timing of the ‘package’ holds true for the majority of the population

• Plus even with this concentration the use of flex time, short weeks and the changes in the retail system (7 day week) have led to complications in prediction for the remainder of the time

Yearly Time

• Cost becomes more of a consideration here

• Time is more available but still a problem of excessive concentration

• Vacations

Reflections on Choice• Survey of Canadians in mid 80’s

– which of the following factors inhibits your participation in recreational activities

• ILL HEALTH, FAMILY TIES, FINANCIAL COST, LACK OF AVAILABLE FACILITIES, LACK OF A CAR, LACK OF TIME, OLD AGE, OTHER

%

• Lack of Time

• Financial Cost

• Ill Health & Old Age

• Family Ties

• Lack of Available Facilities

• Lack of a Car

• Lack of Equipment

• Misc

• Don’t Know

“Free” Time?Recreation takes place in leisure time - but

that does not remove constraints

Conclusion

Conclusions

• Time has impact on the demand and therefore supply within the system

• Time has an impact on frequency of use but also tends to discourage use as discretionary time increases because of the timing of the breaks