Untitled

ecord of a person's use of time. They describe the
duration, sequence and timing of a person's
activities for a given period, usually of between
a day and a week. When combined with the
recording of the location at which activities occur,
then the record is referred to as a space±time
budget.
Time budget studies provide for the understanding
of spatial and temporal behaviour
patterns which may not be directly observable by
other research techniques, either because of their
practicality or their intrusion into individual
privacy. Such studies are usually undertaken
through the use of detailed diaries which are filled
in by participants. The research method was
initially used in the urban and transport planning
field to assist in the understanding of urban travel
behaviour, and in audience research by advertising
and media organisations. In a number of
countries, ratings for television and radio
programmes utilise time budget studies to evaluate
the number of people watching or listening to
individual stations or programmes. Topics investigated
by tourism researchers using time budgets
include spatial search behaviour, activity patterns,
attitudinal information, change in tourist's mood
and activities, relative mobility among different
users and the relative time given to different
activities.
The use of time budgets generates a number of
methodological issues: what is to be recorded; how
is it to be obtained, particularly with respect to the
selection of respondents; how long a time period
should be used in assessing behaviour and
activities; and how should the record be analysed
and presented. Time budgets have the potential to
assist in the differentiation between actual and
perceived tourist activity, as well as observing
behaviour that would otherwise be unavailable to
the researcher. As well as contributing to tourism
marketing, such information may also lead to
improved management strategies.
Further reading
Anderson, J. �1971) `Space±time budgets and
activity studies in urban geography and planning',
Environment and Planning 3�4): 353±68.
�Provides an early review of the subject.)
Debbage, K.G. �1991) `Spatial behaviour in a
Bahamian resort', Annals of Tourism Research 18:
251±68. �Discusses the influence of length of stay
on the overall mobility patterns of tourists.)
Pearce, D.G. �1988) `Tourist time-budgets', Annals of
Tourism Research 15: 106±21. �Reviews methodological
issues involved in undertaking tourist
time-budget research.)
timeshare
timeshare 581
C. MICHAEL HALL, NEW ZEALAND
The timeshare concept entitles a purchaser to
occupy a unit in an urban or resort project for a
specified period of time each year over a number of
years. This practice began in Europe in the 1960s,
and gradually developed mostly among vacationers,
but problems soon arose which contributed
to its slowing down. Timesharing moved to the
United States, and two timeshare exchange
companies were created in 1974±5 �Resort Condominiums
International and Interval International).
It swiftly became a worldwide practice.
The concept is based on adding the dimension of
time to the dimension of space so that the
accommodation unit is divided into further units
of time.
Timeshare enables the owner or member to
purchase a guaranteed accommodation �for a
certain period, on a week-unit basis) at a resort
every year for a specified number of years, or in
perpetuity. It also gives owners the chance to
exchange their periods for accommodation owned
by others at different resorts in the same country, or
in another country �in case the resort is affiliated
with a worldwide timeshare exchange system). This
enables an individual to hedge against the inflation
to vacation costs by contracting for the purchase,
which usually takes the form of either an ownership
�fee simple) interest in the resort property or a
prepaid lease or license �right to use) for the
accommodation at a resort for a specified number
of years.
The cost of a timeshare unit depends upon
several factors, including its location, the country,
accessibility, degree of luxury, size of accommodation,
season required, available recreational