Leisure Industry Research Articles (Page 1)

Background Depression and risky alcohol use are common in vulnerable populations, such as leisure and hospitality workers. While Hispanic workers are overrepresented in the hospitality industry, empirical research on these health burdens among Hispanic workers is limited, particularly workers who prefer to speak Spanish. Given the devastating unemployment following the COVID-19 lockdown, data on health burdens among hospitality industry workers is especially important. Methods To assess the impact of pandemic-related unemployment within vulnerable populations, we examined current major depression (MDD) and recent binge drinking among leisure and hospitality workers who completed a survey in Spanish (N = 373). We recruited participants from a large Nevada hospitality labor union and included validated measures of depression and binge drinking in our survey. Results Current MDD was significantly higher among unemployed (59.6%, 95%CI, 46.9–72.4) versus currently employed (24.1%, 95%CI, 19.3–28.8) participants. Further, overall prevalence of MDD (29.5%, 95%CI, 25.1–34.3) and binge drinking (22.8%, 95%CI, 18.8, 27.3) were higher in our sample than the rates seen in concurrent statewide assessments. Conclusions Given the clinically important elevations in depression and hazardous drinking found in our study, greater attention to leisure and hospitality workers is warranted, especially workers of color and workers whose preferred language is not English.

In modern market conditions, when there is active commercialization of sports activities, it is necessary to think about the formation of the sports industry as a financial group. Radical transformations in social and financial life and state and political organization have led to significant changes in the field of physical culture, sports, and in the national system of physical education. Changes in society and the industry served as objective prerequisites for the transformation of physical culture and sports into a business sphere, affected all aspects of the activities of professional clubs: organizational structure, legal status, labor relations with athletes, adjusted the place and meaning of sports marketing. Marketing in the field of physical culture and sports is an integral part of the life of modern society, its need and effectiveness are determined by the current level of formation of market relations, the physical culture movement and the current socio-cultural traditions of society. Marketing as a source of information about the market of educational services in the field of physical culture and sports today acts mainly as an applied science, in which there is no clear strategic understanding of consumers, and tracking new trends in the market of education in the field of physical culture and sports. This is because in this area it often involves the transfer of part of the functions to the external activities of the educational institution. Marketing in physical culture and sports is a market activity for the development of the active leisure industry, aimed at attracting the population as spectators, as well as to physical culture and sports by satisfying their needs. Improving the market mechanism in providing benefits and offers in the field of physical culture and sports is partially compensated by private charity, sponsorship, which supplies additional resources for development on a voluntary free basis. The growing market of physical culture and sports services through the development of entrepreneurship is obliged to provide the demanded satisfaction of individual needs of citizens, being an additional and effective competitor in the production of these services for state institutions and organizations.

The leisure industry exerts adverse effects on the natural environment, creating critical challenges for achieving clean and sustainable environmental goals. However, the potential role of metaverse technologies in mitigating these challenges remains underexplored. Therefore, this study explores how metaverse technologies can support clean and safe environmental objectives in Turkey and Lithuania. Specifically, the research aims to identify the socio-cultural, institutional, and technological barriers that arise during the integration of these technologies into sustainable environmental strategies. Using purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews were conducted with forty experts from both countries, including policymakers, academics, and industry professionals. The results indicate that variations in technological infrastructure, levels of digital readiness, socio-cultural acceptance, and institutional governance capacity significantly shape the feasibility of applying metaverse technologies in the leisure industry. Furthermore, the findings highlight that local needs, stakeholder expectations, and organizational resources play a crucial role in determining the effectiveness of these technologies in promoting a cleaner and more sustainable environment. The recommendations particularly emphasize enhancing technological infrastructure, expanding institutional collaborations, implementing legal reforms related to metaverse technologies, and addressing data security concerns. Overall, the study provides a comprehensive perspective that connects technology, recreation, and environmental science.

The leisure and hospitality (L&H) industry, comprising the arts, entertainment, and recreation sector and the accommodation and food services sector, faces persistent workforce sustainability challenges, including poor working conditions, high turnover, and low wages. To advance L&H workforce sustainability, this study examines how the cost-of-living crisis affects wage vulnerability in this sector through the lens of the Labor Market Segmentation Theory (LMST). Using a panel dataset of U.S. industry-level statistics (2015–2024) using the Difference-in-Differences (DID) approach, we find that L&H wages fell significantly behind other sectors post-2022, widening the annual wage gap by $5,976. Results reveal a structural pass-through of operational cost burdens onto employees, compounded by constraints such as a younger workforce, a high proportion of nonsupervisory roles, and low certification rates, reinforcing the sector’s intensified vulnerability under macroeconomic shocks.

This article examines the dynamics of water grabbing in Lake Toba, Indonesia, focusing on how corporate aquaculture and emerging tourism developments have reshaped access to and control over water resources. Drawing on previous studies, policy analysis, and semi-structured interviews with local net fishermen, workers from the aquaculture company in Lake Toba, NGO representatives, and government officials, the study reveals how legal permits, regulatory loopholes, and state-corporate alliances have enabled large-scale aquaculture operations to dominate lake space, marginalizing traditional fishing communities and degrading water quality. While small-scale local aquaculture faces increasing restrictions, corporate actors remain largely protected, illustrating systemic regulatory bias. In recent years, tourism-led development has introduced a new layer of water grabbing, as conservation narratives and spatial zoning are used to justify the displacement of local water users in favor of infrastructure for international sporting events and leisure industries. The case of Lake Toba demonstrates how water grabbing extends beyond agriculture and hydropower to include sectors like aquaculture and tourism, operating through a combination of legal, institutional, and symbolic mechanisms. The authors suggest addressing water grabbing challenges in Lake Toba requires more than just policy revisions; it demands strict and fair enforcement, along with governance reforms that prioritize community rights and needs.

Introduction: this article examined the global and local economic impact and business opportunities associated with the increasing popularity of stand-up paddleboarding. the evolution of this sport from its origins in surfing to its current widespread appeal was highlighted, emphasizing its physical, sociocultural, and environmental dimensions. Objective: the objective was to analyze the economic effects and market growth of stand-up paddleboarding, both internationally and specifically in Spain, as well as to identify the main drivers and future prospects of the sector. Methodology: a descriptive methodology was used, combining the review of sectoral reports, statistical data, and information provided by national associations, focusing on market growth rates, investment trends, and the contribution to gross domestic product. Results: the results showed significant global expansion of the stand-up paddleboarding market, with projections of reaching USD 3.17 billion by 2030 and a compound annual growth rate of 9.6%. In Spain, the sector experienced an annual growth of 15% in recent years, with an estimated turnover of 228 million euros in 2023, mainly driven by the increase in tourism and investment in related infrastructure and services. Discussion: the discussion contrasted these findings with other studies, confirming the positive economic impact of water sports and the growing interest in outdoor activities. the development of new equipment and the diversification of activities such as touring, yoga, and fishing contributed to the expansion of the market. Conclusions: in conclusion, stand-up paddleboarding was identified as a sport with considerable economic influence and promising prospects in the sports and leisure industry, both globally and in the spanish context.

IntroductionAmid growing concerns about environmental sustainability, the sports and leisure industry has seen increased interest in green management practices. However, few empirical studies have explored how such practices influence consumer behavior in golf clubs. This study addresses that gap by examining how eco-friendly management affects golfers’ behavioral intention to revisit. Specifically, the study investigates the mediating roles of green image and perceived quality, and the moderating effect of green marketing in this relationship.MethodsTo empirically test the proposed model, data were gathered from 252 South Korean golfers using structured field surveys. The questionnaire measured five constructs: eco-friendly management, green image, perceived service quality, green marketing exposure, and behavioral intention. Analytical methods included frequency analysis, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to test construct validity, reliability testing (Cronbach’s α), descriptive statistics, and Pearson’s correlation. To test mediation and moderation effects, regression-based analyses were conducted using Hayes’ (2013) PROCESS macro.ResultsThe statistical findings revealed three key insights. First, green image fully mediated the effect of eco-friendly management on behavioral intention, implying that consumers’ perception of the club’s environmental responsibility significantly influences their revisit decisions. Second, perceived quality also acted as a full mediator, indicating that environmental initiatives enhance service evaluations, thereby affecting loyalty behavior. Third, green marketing moderated the relationship between eco-friendly management and green image, suggesting that when marketing efforts are more active and visible, the positive impact on green image is amplified.DiscussionThis research offers valuable contributions to the literature on environmental psychology and sustainable service management. It uncovers the psychological mechanisms—specifically green image and perceived quality—through which eco-friendly practices influence consumer behavior. Moreover, it highlights the role of green marketing in shaping environmental perceptions. For golf clubs aiming to enhance customer retention, this study suggests that sustainability initiatives must be effectively communicated and designed to improve both image and service quality. The results underscore the strategic importance of aligning operational greening with targeted environmental messaging.

ABSTRACT A major consumer group in the leisure industry, Generation Z (Gen Z) is significantly influenced by sociocultural factors, such as social media and celebrities, which, in turn, influence leisure participation. Previous scales for measuring leisure motivation have overlooked these contemporary factors. To address this concern, this study utilised Q methodology to examine and classify leisure motivations among 25 Korean Gen Z individuals actively engaging in leisure activities. Analysis identified three distinct groups, namely, Homo ludens, Homo agens, and Homo zappiens. Each group demonstrated unique subjective viewpoints and characteristics. The findings present academic value by providing an objective categorisation of the leisure motivations of Gen Z and insights into their personal perspectives.

Abstract Issues of social justice have become increasingly important as an area for academic research in recent decades. This has also been the case for researchers operating in disciplines such as leisure. The purpose of this bibliometric analysis is to review, analyze and synthesize the current state of research focusing on issues of social justice in leisure studies and, in doing so, draw together a more coherent understanding of the different strands of social justice research that are currently being undertaken. Through a quantitative process of bibliometric analysis, emergent and existing trends in research patterns, authorship, and article or journal performance were analyzed to generate greater understanding of the emergence, development and intellectual structure of social justice research over time within leisure studies. A quantitative process of bibliometric analysis was therefore undertaken to generate and analyze a nascent dataset of peer reviewed journal articles that have examined issues of social justice within leisure studies. Analysis of this dataset provided opportunities to outline recommendations for future research directions and research agendas linked to issues of social justice and leisure. This includes recommendations for expansion of research agendas within leisure studies in areas linked to: (a) ‘race’, gender and human rights; (b) a ‘broadening’ of social justice research into other socio-cultural areas of investigation; (c) initiation and/or expansion of research agendas relating to the global south; (d) business, organisations and social justice within the leisure industry; (e) issues of policy, politics and social justice in leisure.

In recent years, the hot spring leisure industry in Taiwans Yangmingshan area has experienced rapid growth. This study aims to explore the spatial distribution characteristics of this industry and analyze the underlying influencing factors. Based on a detailed survey and statistical analysis of the types, quantities, and geographic locations of hot spring leisure establishments, it was found that the industry in the Yangmingshan area is highly clustered. Most facilities are located in areas with convenient transportation and scenic natural environments, forming several hot spring tourism clusters. Furthermore, this paper analyzes the impact of spatial distribution patterns on local economic development, tourism resource integration, and ecological protection, with the goal of offering insights for the sustainable development of the hot spring leisure industry in the Yangmingshan region.

The timeshare is gradually becoming an essential global tourism operation model, especially in rural areas of China, where the leisure industry is developing rapidly. Meanwhile, the environmental issues of the rapidly growing timeshare-related building production have received widespread attention. The existing research on zero-carbon buildings considers carbon emissions as a constant value and cannot adapt to the impact of user changes during the operation phase. Constructing a low-carbon design applicable to timeshare is significant for controlling carbon emissions in the construction industry and responding to the environmental crisis. The practical carbon emissions of touristic apartments depend on the requirement changes in different customer clusters. The timeshare theory reflects the requirement change in different customer clusters based on the timeshare property ownership change. This paper focuses on a dynamic design strategy for zero-carbon building openings to reduce practical carbon emissions. Firstly, this research clarifies the primary customer clusters and conducts a touristic apartment unit model by timeshare property ownership. Then, this research clarifies the changes in customer requirements to analyze the spatial function changes in the operating phase. Finally, the study identifies six dynamic carbon emission indicators, such as the window-to-wall ratio, ventilation rate, and effective daylight area, and through passive design methods, provides 13 variable devices applied in the operating phase to control dynamic carbon emission indicators by customers. This paper also offers a flexible method to effectively decrease and accurately control carbon emissions by reducing the possible device utility.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to extend the existing literature on the effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance on firms’ financial outcomes and viability. Specifically, it examines the impact of social performance and board gender diversity (BGD) on the financial performance and distress risk of firms operating in the European sport and leisure industry. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a quantitative analysis approach with panel data regressions, using financial and CSR-related data from an unbalanced sample of 179 unique listed sport and leisure services firms operating within 32 countries of the European continent over the period 2008–2019. Findings Empirical evidence indicates that CSR performance and BGD contribute positively to financial performance and viability. Specifically, sport firms with above average BGD experienced a more positive effect on their financial performance and a reduction on their distress risk corroborating arguments in the literature referring to the resource-based view of the firm. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first study within the European sport and leisure services industry considering the direct impact of CSR performance and BGD on financial performance and distress risk, thus adding significant evidence on the ongoing debate regarding the advantages (or disadvantages) of gender diversity within the contemporary business world.

This study aims to analyze South Korean news coverage from 2020 to 2025 to understand how the equestrian industry is portrayed in the media and identify key issues. To achieve this, Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling was employed to extract major themes from equestrian-related articles. The analysis categorized the news into six core topics: youth education and experience programs, domestic equestrian competitions and regional events, equestrian tourism and leisure industry, incidents in the equestrian and broader sports sectors, international sports events and global issues, and the horse racing industry and race culture. This study is meaningful in that it uses big data-based text analysis to empirically identify significant issues in the equestrian industry. Based on the findings, the study provides implications for sustainable growth and the popularization of equestrian sports. Further research should explore economic impacts, cross-national comparisons of competition operations, and evaluations of equestrian education programs.

Rural areas are undergoing a transformation, shifting from traditional agriculture to green and leisure industries, driven by urban–rural imbalances and environmental challenges. This transition, however, presents the growing conflicts between preserving spatial features and promoting industrial development. Based on the unique rural spatial typology of polders, this study integrated theories from cultural, landscape, ecological, economic, and social perspectives to construct a conceptual framework of the interactive relationship between spatial features (SFs) and industrial development (ID). Then, an evaluation index system was constructed to measure the current status of SFs and ID, using data from field surveys, satellite imagery, and 2020 yearbooks, with the Gaochun Polder District, Nanjing (China), as the case study. Next, the coupling coordination degree (CCD) model and a scenario analysis based on orthogonal design were applied to assess the coherence and development between SFs and ID, and to identify strategies for optimizing rural industrial development. The results show that (1) the current SFs and ID are in the break-in and basic coordination stage, with ID lagging behind SFs, and (2) the 25 scenarios generated through orthogonal design were categorized into three groups: high-level coordination with synchronization between the two systems, high-level coordination but ID lagging behind SFs, and basic coordination where ID lags behind SFs. To achieve a high-level coordination with synchronization, specific strategies were proposed to enhance agricultural input–output benefits, improve agricultural scale–quality benefits, and, overall, protect the SF system while making minor adjustments to the village dwelling subsystem. Therefore, the findings provide recommendations for traditional polder villages to optimize their rural industries while preserving the distinctive SFs of the rural cultural landscape.

The travel and leisure sector is extremely sensitive to fluctuations in economic circumstances, consumer demand, and market volatility. This sector has been greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic due to both travel restrictions and social distancing measures that have limited demand. This study aims to examine the impact of COVID-19 on the volatility spillovers of travel and leisure indices in nine significant markets. It examines the differences in spillover effects pre‐ and during COVID-19, employing comparative analysis. The results show that the pandemic has led to an increase in volatility spillover between travel and leisure indices. Moreover, significant changes are evident in the spillover effects between periods, reflecting the dynamic nature of volatility transmission. The results show that changes in consumer spending and restrictions on international travel in the travel and leisure industry have a bigger impact on volatility spillovers in this sector than on stock exchange indices. These outcomes hold significant implications for sector participants, underscoring the need for resilient strategies to mitigate the impact of global crises on market volatility spillovers.

Objective: This study focuses on determining the most favorable seasonal conditions on six popular tourist destinations: Astara, Bandar-Gaz, Babolsar, Gorgan, Ramsar and Rasht. Theoretical Framework: Climate change has a significant impact on the resource base of leisure industry. Iranian sea areas are characterized by atmospheric patterns, thus in the studied area, the climate has several varieties. Method: Landsat and MODIS satellite data were used to estimate the land surface temperature (LST) and NOVA satellite data to evaluate the changes in the sea surface temperature SST. The tourism climate comfort index (TCCI) was calculated for the mentioned destinations in Iran. TTCI values were calculated for a climatological period between 2013–2023, and it was concluded that Bandar-Gaz, Babolsar and Gorgan are ideal to naturopathy on april and september. Results and discussion: Based on the results of TCCI values presented here, future researches could focus on the development of other forms of sustainable tourism, such as bathing, fishing, hiking, hunting, and nautical sports. These activities can contribute to the long-term economic and environmental well-being of the region.

This study aims to determine the difference in results and accuracy of Altman, Springate, Zmijewski, and Grover's models in predicting Financial Distress. A quantitative model was applied to this study using a purposive sampling technique with a sample of 35 companies. The object of the research is tourism and leisure industry companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) for the 2020-2022 period. The results showed that Grover was the model with the highest accuracy rate of 89%, type error of 11%. Then followed by Altman with an accuracy rate of 80%, type error of 9%, Zmijewski with an accuracy rate of 74%, type error of 26%, and Springate with the lowest accuracy rate of 63% and type error of 37%. So that grover is the most accurate prediction model to predict financial distress in tourism and leisure industry companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX).

The article substantiates the cultural and historical nature and gaming nature of the entertainment industry phenomenon in the dynamics of its development, as it reveals its dependence on a complex of interrelated system-forming factors, among which consumer preferences among young people occupy an important place. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the disclosure of the thesis that the main forms of the leisure and enter-tainment industry, cultural dominants and priorities of consumer “taste” preferences in general, having a hybrid nature, are largely determined by the social demands of society for entertainment services. The research re-flects the solution of a number of tasks: the definition of the semantic content of the concept, the structure of the entertainment industry in a cultural and historical context, the systematization of its main areas preferred by the Russian youth segment. Theoretical methods were applied: cultural-historical, comparative, analysis and syn-thesis, aimed at revealing the problem in interdisciplinary discourse. It is concluded that the processes of net-workingization of social space transform not only the semantic meanings and contexts of many “classical” con-cepts of traditional culture, but also the person himself as a carrier of “net-thinking”, influencing the consumer range of entertainment and leisure practices among young people.

This case is based on the impact of technological development and changing preferences of consumers (audience) on cinema business. The case also channelized the vulnerabilities of leisure industry due to its too much dependence on availability of disposable income. The case also highlighted the dynamic nature of business environment due to which governments and businesses need to reframe their policies in order to be relevant and competitive which speci􀏐ically in this case is ‘ease of doing business.’ Harsh Sharma, the leading exponent, was a second-generation cinema hall owner in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh. He joined his family business in 2015 with a vision to grow it further by adding more cinema halls. SARS-CoV-2 hit in 2019 resulting in a series of lock downs and severe setbacks to businesses globally. This resulted in a steep fall in the income of Harsh too and forced him to explore diversi􀏐ication options. He also realized, that post Covid, fewer people were coming to cinema halls to watch movies. This gave him a thought that there was a need of a new 􀏐ilm policy by the state and union governments to support different stake holders in cinema business 􀏐inancially, technologically and through skill development programs. Harsh approached Chief Minister Of􀏐ice (CMO) with a request to come up with a conducive policy to make state an attractive location for the cinema hall/ multiplexes owners, attracting film production houses for shooting and post production processing and for even distribution of films.

The leisure and hospitality industry is one of the significant drivers of the global economy, and it has adopted new technologies to transform service delivery and customer experience. Despite the transformative potential and benefits associated with adopting these technologies, there remains a low level of adoption in rural areas, particularly among small-scale players. This study explores the role of information and communication technology (ICT) literacy and sustainable practices in influencing ICT adoption among small-scale players in the hospitality industry in rural Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, specifically focusing on Mnquma Municipality. The study employs a non-probability sampling and purposive technique, utilising a case study approach. A random sample of 21 small-scale players (BnBs, guest houses, and non-serviced accommodations) was selected, and data was collected through a face-to-face interview and questionnaire featuring closed-ended questions. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and the Kruskal-Wallis H Test to examine differences in ICT usage levels. The test yielded a Kruskal-Wallis H of 2.57 with a p-value of 0.277. The findings reveal that businesses with more educated workforces demonstrate higher ICT adoption levels. Moreover, key factors such as ICT literacy, awareness of sustainable practices, access to ICT resources, and contextual challenges significantly impact ICT adoption.