Overview
This project produces descriptive analyses as well as models of the variability of leisure travel (with hazard models), the impact of living conditions on leisure activities (with linear regression and Poisson regression), determinants of destination and mode choice in leisure travel (with multinominal and nested logit models). Additional travel group surveys looked at the motives behind leisure activities. All analyses focused on differences between week- and weekend leisure days.
The discussions are based on surveys as well as on analyses of national datasets. The following surveys were conducted within this research project:
- A survey which covered a period of 12 weeks of the leisure behaviour of 71 persons. They reported nearly 6000 leisure activities. This survey was the main source for the analysis of intrapersonal variability in leisure;
- Four focus groups, which enabled an analysis of personal attitudes and motives. Besides, the following datasets were used for modelling mode- and destination choice
- The National surveys of the Federal Office of Spatial Development (ARE) (“Mikrozensus 1994 und 2000”), die “Kontinuierlichen Erhebung Personenverkehr” of the Swiss Federal Railway (KEP 1999 und 2000) and the “Zusatzmodul Reiseverhalten der Einkommensund Verbrauchserhebung 1994” (EVE) of the Federal Office of Statistic (BfS).
- A database covering all Swiss municipalities with information about their leisure infrastructure was collected from various sources during the research project.
Funding
Results
Attributes of leisure activities.
The research confirms that different leisure activities are very distinct from each other in their travel characteristics. As most leisure activities are performed in groups, the spatial distribution of social networks and their development over time becomes crucial for the growth of leisure traffic. Because social networks are spatially distributed widely it is difficult to influence leisure traffic.
Rhythms and Variability:
It is too simplifying to assume, that daily leisure activities are mostly performed regularly or routinely although aspects of leisure travel like the mode choice might be to a high degree routine. The analysis shows that the majority of activities and especially those that are performed most often, like visit of friends do not take place within a rhythm.
Impact of residential situation:
The residential situation has statistically significant impact on the frequency of leisure activities out of home. Nonetheless this influence is weak compared to other influences like sociodemographic differences.
Motives:
Motives behind leisure are different for activities performed in everyday life compared to motives of holiday trips. For both categories of leisure activities social contacts and the search for ariability are dominant motives.
Destination choice:
The main result of the destination choice modelling for short excursions (with less than two nights at the destination) is that the choice of a destination depends on the accessibility of them. Travellers evaluate a destination dependant on the distance and the travel time to the altematives of a choice set. The influence of leisure infrastructure for the destination choice of shorter excursions is weak, but still detectable.