Optimizing Leisure Travel: Is BigData Ready to Improve the Joint Leisure Activities Efficiency?

2015 ◽  
pp. 53-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Gkiotsalitis ◽  
A. Stathopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Leisure Travel

Is tourism really an escape from everyday life? Everyday leisure activities vs leisure travel activities of expats and emirati nationals living in the UAE

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 238-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasa Slak Valek ◽  
Anestis Fotiadis
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Leisure Travel ◽  
Everyday Activities ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
The Everyday ◽  
Tourism Motivation ◽  
Local Residents ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand the linkage between everyday life activities with its various aspects of leisure and the leisure-related activities undertaken when traveling as a tourist. This comparison is based on information from individuals who take on both the roles of the everyday person and the traveling tourist. Moreover, as the study is based in the UAE, a multi-cultural country, leisure activities between local residents and expatriates living in UAE are contrasted as part of the investigation. Design/methodology/approach A newly modified International Social Survey Program about Leisure Time questionnaire was used in this study to define a comprehensive list of leisure activities. This was distributed to a sample of local residents and expats living in the UAE in 2015. Pearson χ2 was used to understand the association between everyday leisure activities and travel leisure activities. Findings The results show statistically significant differences in everyday leisure activities between expats and Emirati nationals living in UAE. Moreover, a moderate (V = 0.21; p = 0.25) strength of associations between everyday activities and travel leisure activities was found in the overall sample of all UAE residents. Research limitations/implications A non-probability sampling method was used to collect the data, and no general conclusions about the segments or the total population of residents can be made at this point. However, the sample size is sufficient to examine the proposed model and understand the differences between the two resident segments (Emirati nationals vs expats) and to compare the differences in behavior between everyday leisure and tourism-related leisure activities. Practical implications These findings are recommended for consideration by tourism authorities, holiday destination managers and trip organizers when targeting UAE residents, both Emirati nationals and expats. Social implications As a relation between everyday activities and travel activities was confirmed, the typical tourism motivation assumption that people are traveling to escape the everyday should be reconsidered. In addition, a managerial conclusion is that Emirati nationals and expats should be considered as two distinct groups when devising, preparing and marketing the leisure activities for the market in the UAE. Originality/value The problem of separating tourism travel from everyday life, as the common perspective of the time, was to treat tourism simply as a temporary escape from everyday life. This research enters this same area and attempts to fill the academic gap and address this issue which, to our knowledge, no specific studies have investigated or exposed the relationship between common everyday leisure activities and special travel leisure activities.

scholarly journals Tourists Perception of Public Transit Services for Leisure Travel Satisfaction in Lagos

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 5702-5710
Keyword(s):  
Public Transport ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Transport Service ◽  
Leisure Travel ◽  
Public Transport System ◽  
Transport Services ◽  
Transit Services ◽  
Tourism Enterprises ◽  
Travel Satisfaction

This study determined to promote leisure satisfaction through pleasurable travel experiences in an active tourist destination. Local transportation provides links between tourists’ population and leisure targets at destinations. Therefore, diverse leisure activities and innovative tourism enterprises in many active cities are regulated by transport services. This study found that tourists are unwilling to adopt public mass transits for satisfactory travel in Lagos due to unattractive service attributes, thereby induced the increasing use of private vehicles for active leisure travel which technically retards touristic attraction of the city. Questionnaire survey technique was employed to collect data that were analysed in this study from the target respondents. Public transports deprived service attributes were identified to make Lagos uninteresting for wider leisure visitors and triggered a gradual declining of its tourism economy and social benefits. The transport service attributes examined from tourists’ sensitivities and perceptions are reliability, affordability, aesthetic features, comfort and safety to gain insight into how transportation service attribute variability impact leisure travel satisfaction in Lagos. This study used SPSS version 22.0 to analyse 108 valid responses. The Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) created in AMOS was valuable in determining complex mode integration via Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). The EFA characterised the cumulative variance attributes responsible for the unsatisfactory tourists’ perception of Lagos public transport system in recent times. This study conclusively proved that 11.33% of leisure tourists sampled use public transports service, while 88.67% opted for personalised transports, and over 43.0% of returning visitors to Lagos prefer not to use existing public transport services. This study advocates the improvement of transport service elements identified to encourage future use of Lagos public transports.

Perceived Voice Disorders in Older Adults and Impact on Social Interactions

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Connie K. Porcaro ◽  
Clare Singer ◽  
Boris Djokic ◽  
Ali A. Danesh ◽  
Ruth Tappen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Voice Disorders ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Vocal Performance ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Cross Sectional

Purpose Many aging individuals, even those who are healthy, report voice changes that can impact their ability to communicate as they once did. While this is commonly reported, most do not seek evaluation or management for this issue. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and differences in voice disorders in older adults, along with the effect of fatigue on their social interactions. Method This is a cross-sectional investigation of a community-dwelling sample of individuals aged 60 years or older. Participants completed the Questionnaire on Vocal Performance, the Social Engagement Index subset “Engagement in Social or Leisure Activities,” and the Fatigue Severity Scale. Results Results indicated 32.5% of the 332 participants reported symptoms of voice problems with no difference found between male and female respondents. A slight increase in report of voice problems was noted with each year of age. Participants who self-reported voice problems indicated less interaction in social activities involving communication than those who did not. Finally, as severity of self-reported voice problems increased, an increase was reported by the same individuals for signs of fatigue. Conclusions Voice problems and resulting decreased social interaction are commonly experienced by older individuals. Voice symptoms in older adults have been found to benefit from evidence-based treatment strategies. It is critical to provide education to encourage older individuals to seek appropriate evaluation and management for voice issues through a speech-language pathologist or medical professional.

Leisure Activities and the Subjective Well-Being of Older Adults in Croatia

GeroPsych ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ljiljana Kaliterna Lipovčan ◽  
Tihana Brkljačić ◽  
Zvjezdana Prizmić Larsen ◽  
Andreja Brajša-Žganec ◽  
Renata Franc
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Leisure Activity ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Perceived Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Financial Status

Abstract. Research shows that engagement in leisure activities promotes well-being among older adults. The objective of the current study was to examine the relationship between subjective well-being (flourishing) and leisure activities (total number of different activities in the previous year) in a sample of older adults in Croatia, thereby considering the variables of sex, marital status, financial status, and self-perceived health. The differences in the examined variables between the groups of older adults who reported to be engaged in new activities with those who did not were also examined. The sample of N = 169 older adults aged 60 years and above was drawn from a convenience sample of adult internet users in Croatia. Participants reported their self-perceived health and the number of leisure activities they engaged in over the previous year as well as completing the Flourishing Scale. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that older adults who were engaged in more various leisure activities, who perceived better financial status, and who were married reported higher levels of flourishing. A comparison of the two groups of older adults with and without engagement in leisure activities showed that those engaged in at least one leisure activity were more likely to be women, reported higher levels of flourishing, and perceived their own financial status as better. This study indicated that engaging in leisure activities in later life might provide beneficial effects for the well-being of older adults.

Effects of a Group Program to Increase Cognitive Performance Through Cognitively Stimulating Leisure Activities in Healthy Older Subjects

GeroPsych ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentina A. Tesky ◽  
Christian Thiel ◽  
Winfried Banzer ◽  
Johannes Pantel
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Cognitive Stimulation ◽  
Group Program ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Older Subjects

To investigate the effects of leisure activities on cognitive performance of healthy older subjects, an innovative intervention program was developed. Frequent participation in cognitively stimulating activities (i.e., reading, playing chess, or playing music) is associated with reduced risk of dementia. AKTIVA (active cognitive stimulation – prevention in the elderly) is an intervention program designed to enhance cognitive stimulation in everyday life by increasing cognitive stimulating leisure activities. The present study determines the effects of AKTIVA on cognitive function, mood and attitude toward aging in a sample of older participants from the general population. Several measurement instruments were used including the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-Cog), the Trail-Making Test (TMT), and the Memory Complaint Questionnaire (MAC-Q). Initially, the sample consisted of 307 older persons (170 female, 72 ± 7 years). The intervention was evaluated with a randomized, controlled pre-post follow-up design. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: AKTIVA intervention (n = 126), AKTIVA intervention plus nutrition and exercise counseling (n = 84), no-intervention control group (n = 97). The AKTIVA intervention consisted of 8 weekly sessions and two booster sessions after a break of 4 months. Participation in the group program resulted in positive effects on cognitive function and attitude toward aging for subassembly groups. Older persons (≥ 75 years) showed enhanced speed of information processing (by TMT Version A) (F = 4.17*, p < .05); younger participants (< 75 years) showed an improvement in subjective memory decline (by MAC-Q) (F = 2.55*, p < .05). Additionally, AKTIVA enhanced the frequency of activities for leisure activities for subassembly groups. The results of this study suggest that the AKTIVA program can be used to increase cognitively stimulating leisure activities in the elderly. Further research is necessary to identify the long-term effects of this intervention particularly with respect to the prevention of dementia.

Barriers to Physical Activity in Adolescents

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 47-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadine Langguth ◽  
Tanja Könen ◽  
Simone Matulis ◽  
Regina Steil ◽  
Caterina Gawrilow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Outcome Expectations ◽  
Multidimensional Approach ◽  
Factor Analyses ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Tailored Interventions ◽  
Long Term Consequences ◽  
Age Range

During adolescence, physical activity (PA) decreases with potentially serious, long-term consequences for physical and mental health. Although barriers have been identified as an important PA correlate in adults, research on adolescents’ PA barriers is lacking. Thus reliable, valid scales to measure adolescents’ PA barriers are needed. We present two studies describing a broad range of PA barriers relevant to adolescents with a multidimensional approach. In Study 1, 124 adolescents (age range = 12 – 24 years) reported their most important PA barriers. Two independent coders categorized those barriers. The most frequent PA barriers were incorporated in a multidimensional questionnaire. In Study 2, 598 adolescents (age range = 13 – 21 years) completed this questionnaire and reported their current PA, intention, self-efficacy, and negative outcome expectations. Seven PA barrier dimensions (leisure activities, lack of motivation, screen-based sedentary behavior, depressed mood, physical health, school workload, and preconditions) were confirmed in factor analyses. A multidimensional approach to measuring PA barriers in adolescents is reliable and valid. The current studies provide the basis for developing individually tailored interventions to increase PA in adolescents.

Leisure activities of middle aged and older widowed adults

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacki Fitzpatrick ◽  
Hyunsook Kang
Keyword(s):  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Middle Aged
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