Introduction to Commercial Recreation and Tourism

Commercial recreation can be justified in two points, the economic aspect and the provision of services to the family. The service industry of the United States, which is currently growing rapidly and is predicted to grow even faster in the future, provides further examples of commercial recreation’s importance. Recreation related jobs continue to grow in that area as they have in another commercial recreation field, travel and tourism. Commercial recreation provides many activities for family recreation in the United States. Humans spend their time in activities of daily living, work, sleep, social duties, and leisure, the latter time being free from prior commitments to physiologic or social needs, a prerequisite of recreation. Leisure has increased with increased longevity and, for many, with decreased hours spent for physical and economic survival, yet others argue that time pressure has increased for modern people, as they are committed to too many tasks. Other factors that account for an increased role of recreation are affluence, population trends, and increased commercialization of recreational offerings. While one perception is that leisure is just “spare time”, time not consumed by the necessities of living, another holds that leisure is a force that allows individuals to consider and reflect on the values and realities that are missed in the activities of daily life, thus being an essential element of personal development and civilization. This book presents the information on some of the basic concept of this subject.