Landscape and leisure in Europe: parasitism and symbiosis

Essay vanuit Alterra en Stichting RecreatieIn the early nineteenth century, many people worked themselves to death, eighteen hours a day, six days a week, with no days off. Leisure time was scarce. Only few people had the time and means to repose, divert and travel. Leisure and tourism were the privilege of a small elite. But times have changed. In Europe, the average amount of free time has gradually increased to 4-6 hours a day and a wide range of leisure and tourist opportunities have come within reach in contemporary society. This essay was based on some introductory reports of the project Landscape and leisure, describing trends and impacts, facts and figures concerning leisure and landscape in Europe