Amenity Management).
The 4 areas of analysis which best explain the scale and significance of the industry nationally are:
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Breakdown of consumer spending in the UK on leisure products and services.
- Employment statistics.
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Participation trends in leisure and recreation activities.
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Cultural and social significance of leisure and recreation.
Consumer spending
£140-150 billion is spent per year on leisure and recreation which shows it is a major source of income for the UK economy. This figure is likely to increase as consumer demand continues to rise.
Government research shows households in the UK on average spend 18% of their weekly budget on leisure goods and services.
Tax revenues
The industry of leisure and recreation also contributes to the national economy through local and central government taxation. Roughly £26 billion a year goes to the central government via value added tax (VAT). Local government finances are supported by the payment of business rates. In 1995 sport attracted £9.75 billion in consumer spending, contributing £3.6 billion in taxation.
Employment
It is estimated that in the UK 1.7 million people are employed by the leisure and recreation industry, this accounts for 12% of the total labour force in the UK. The industries are major providers of employment opportunities and on estimate create around 50,000 new jobs every year.
Voluntary work is not included in these figures which is a vast amount of people and if it was included it would make the leisure and recreation industry the largest employer in the UK.
Participation
Figures from the General Household Survey show participation rates for selected home-based and away-from-home leisure activities. The most popular leisure activities by a high percentage are watching television (100%) and socialising with friends and relatives (96%). The most popular away-from-home leisure activities are going out for a drink or going out for meal (57%).
Cultural/Social significance
The leisure and recreation industry has a significant impact on society. Local communities benefit greatly from the provision of public, private and voluntary sector leisure and recreation facilities and services such as libraries, museums, pubs and sports facilities. The local pub or community centre is still the focal point of many communities in the UK.
Regeneration schemes have led to improvements and increased investment in many deprived or neglected areas in the UK. Major cities such as London and Glasgow have been involved with the regeneration schemes which provide investment in leisure and recreation facilities to help improve the quality of life for residents and visitors. Sports provision in community sport facilities is a method of developing community spirit and improving people’s quality of life.