Name Registration number Sign

Okello Peter

Muraya Moses

Ulwenya Doreen

Mbithe Georgina

Mutinda Katherine

CHALLENGES IN PROVIDING LEISURE AND RECREATION FACILITIES

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CHALLENGES IN PROVIDING LEISURE AND RECREATION

Definition-

Leisure is a period of time spent out of work and essential domestic activities. It is a period of

recreational and discretionary time before or after necessary activity such as eating and sleeping,

going to work or running a business. Against the background of social change, the meaning of

leisure itself has also been radically transformed in recent years. In the past, it was thought of

primarily as time free from work or obligation that provided the opportunity for slow-paced

relaxation and recovery from stress, or for enjoyable pursuits undertaken solely for their own

sake. If leisure had any purpose at all beyond pleasure, it was to help restore oneself for work,

contribute to family life and community cohesion and--in terms of organized recreation

programs--to help combat juvenile delinquency. Finally, it was thought of primarily as the

possession of the wealthy and powerful--Thorstein Veblen's so-called "leisure class."

Today, many of these views have been sharply reversed. Many Americans now think of leisure

as activity that is organized and purposeful, carried out to achieve personal goals such as fitness,

career advancement, or social status. They commit themselves to a host of scheduled and often

stressful pursuits and in doing so; lose much of the freedom and spontaneity that was considered

essential to true leisure.

Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time often done for amusement,

enjoyment or pleasure and are considered fun.

Question

What are the three dimensions of leisure?

a. State of mind, recreational activity, freedom

CHALLENGES IN PROVIDING LEISURE AND RECREATION FACILITIES

Growth of travel by people with disability, elderly and children.

People with disabilities and older persons are becoming a growing group of consumers of travel,

sports, and other leisure-oriented products and services. Furthermore, with regard to physical

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access, families with young children, who are also becoming part of this increasing tourist

market, have similar needs to persons with disabilities and older persons. Thus large numbers of

people require tourism to be made barrier-free.

Challenges of climate change

The viability of some tourism destinations remains negatively affected by climate change

occurring at the global level. Climate change is expected to progressively degrade amenities in

destinations ranging from low-lying Small Island States to mountain resorts. In developing

countries and LDCs such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Maldives and Myanmar, tourism activities

based in coastal and river delta areas could be significantly affected by sea level rise. In Nepal

and Bhutan, increasing temperatures are already beginning to melt the glaciers, negatively

affecting mountain tourism.

The solution in Responding to climate change is through efforts to transform the tourism

businesses into the green economy. Reductions in carbon emissions from energy and transport

offer opportunities for firms to reduce the carbon footprint of tourism. A growing number of

hotels have adopted energy efficiency programs to limit carbon dioxide emissions associated

with tourists’ stays.

Increasing the spending power of tourists.

One of the challenges in managing tourism lies in attracting “destination” visitors who spend

more money and stay longer than “pass-through” visitors. Destination clients experience their

vacation differently, with a greater opportunity to experience local culture, relax and rejuvenate,

or explore local activities in-depth. By substituting pass-through tourism with destination visits,

fewer miles are driven and fewer resources are used. Additionally, destination visitors emphasize

shopping, are interested in tours with local guides and outfitters, often visit heritage and cultural

sites, and as a result, generate a different mix of jobs in the local economy.

Funding Tourism Development

Another challenge is the sources to fund tourism projects as they require a lot of money to fund

and develop especially at the community level. Lack of financial resources for local

communities, municipal buildings and state run property to introduce energy saving measures,

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renewable energy, lack of new technologies, expensive renewable energy appliances. Once a

community vision has been established through an effective planning process, funding quality

tourism development presents communities with the next big challenge. A number of public and

private resources are available and many communities are using creative means to protect their

unique resources.

Seasonality of tourism

It is common for a tourist destination to experience seasonal differences in tourist arrivals. This

situation leads of under-use of tourist facilities and services during certain periods of the year,

and often-excessive demand at other times. The objective is to address “Reducing Tourism

seasonality” as a serious issue affecting tourism industry.

Safety and Security

As tourism grows, security and safety become more important and travelers will expect safe-

guarding measures in transportation, accommodation and other services and facilities. Many

terrorists target tourist places as they are easier to target and the media coverage after the event is

tremendous. Perceptions about personal safety and unsafe environments can restrict some people

from being physically active.

Globalization and ICT growth

Globalization is driven by technological change Accelerated globalization is related to the boom

in information and communications technologies.

These technologies have shaped the infrastructure of globalization in finance, capital mobility

and export-oriented business activity. Since the early 1980s, through such innovations as 24-hour

electronic trading, information and microelectronics-based computer and telecommunications

technologies have made financial globalization possible. They have also created the conditions

for global product information and thus for the globalization of demand. Keeping up with these

technological changes prove to be difficult as they require major investment and integration of

these systems with others. Obsolesce of a technology proves to be very expensive especially to

small investor.

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Environmental issues

Environmental issues during the construction of tourism and hospitality facilities projects,

particularly those in urban locations, are common to those of nonhazardous industrial activities

These issues include construction site waste generation, soil erosion and sediment control from

materials-sourcing areas and site preparation activities, fugitive dust and other emissions (e.g.

from vehicle traffic, land clearing and movement, and materials stockpiles), noise from heavy

equipment and truck traffic, and potential for hazardous materials and oil spills associated with

heavy equipment operation and fueling activities. Development of tourism facilities at remote

and sensitive locations poses additional challenges specific to such issues as infrastructure

support and wildlife habitat management.

OTHER CHALLENGES INCLUDE

I. Commoditization – many of the leisure business has been commercialized to a greater

extent that some of the activities have lost their originality. E.g. production houses like

Warner Bros have taken over many broadcasting houses.

II. Influence of technology- due to the changing technology day in day out providing

leisure and recreation has become a challenge because of trying to keep up with the pace

of technology and it is also expensive to keep updating the with the levels of the

technology.

III. Population trends- with the way the world economy is changing the majority f people

are migrating from the rural area and settling in the urban areas of the world. Providing

leisure and recreation is becoming more difficult because their needs and preferences are

becoming harder to meet.

IV. Increase in discretionary time-the time take by people off their jobs is becoming

increasingly high everyday thus recreation demands is increasing steadily. This requires

the section to continuously update their facilities and also to vary their service provision.

V. Recreation contribution to health and fitness-the sector is facing the challenge of

providing leisure and recreation that meets the needs for health and fitness of customers.

VI. Environmental concerns

VII. Managing social classes- due to the different social classes in the society their needs and

want s will vary considerably because the upper classes will demand for more expensive

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types of recreational facilities and activities than the lower classes in the society. The

challenge is to provide leisure that meets the wants of the different camps that is

acceptable to all.

VIII. Use of drugs- the industry face a major challenge in addressing the use of drugs some of

which are acceptable and others are legally unacceptable to the society and governments.

IX. Cultural differences- it is challenging to provide recreation that addresses the cultural

differences of the different people who use the facilities and participate in the activities. It

may be expensive to provide leisure and recreation in different areas where people from

different cultures feel their cultural preferences are taken care of.

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