Demand for Water-based Leisure Activity

This paper reports on the demand for water-based leisure activity in Ireland based on data from a nationally representative telephone survey. Participation and trip demand are modelled using an augmented Poisson count model and consumer surplus welfare estimates are derived. The model is also used to investigate the level of social exclusion in water-based leisure activity. The demand for four activities is examined: sea angling, boating, swimming and other beach/sea/island day-trips. Results indicate that Irish rivers, wetlands, estuaries and seas are highly valued, while there is some evidence of social exclusion in water-based leisure activity.

Working status and leisure

Paid labour is often said to come at a price. Using timebudget information on 9063 Dutch respondents and their partners, we investigated whether couples working full time economize on their solitary and social time budget. Results show that individuals who are part of a full-time working couple spend a smaller share of their available time budget on social interaction with relatives and friends than individuals from single-earner families or combination households. Instead, in full-time working couples, partners prefer to spend a relatively large share of their leisure time on institutionalized social interaction, such as volunteering, cultural participation and attending sports events.