Untitled

locations provide opportunities that are not available
in inland settings. Climate is also a crucial
factor influencing the time during the year that is
potentially available for outdoor as opposed to
indoor recreation �compare, for example, climatic
seasonality between Sweden and Australia or
Canada and Malaysia). Recreation behaviour is
learned behaviour. Many recreational pursuits, for
instance, involve the learning of specific skills that
may take years to acquire. These skills ± in such
activities as yachting, golf, rock-climbing, snow
skiing or playing a musical instrument ± are often
learned at an early age in the family or school
situation, and developed upon through the life
cycle. Many active pursuits are closely correlated
with youth. Others, like swimming, tennis, hiking
and golf can, and are, enjoyed by both young and
old people alike.
All recreation activities, either directly or
indirectly, require some financial outlay. Travelling
and accommodation are expensive items, and so
too is the equipment, including boats, golf clubs,
fishing rods, and so on, that is essential for
participation in most recreational pursuits. Thus,
family or individual income, particularly discretionary
or available income, is one of the single
most important variables influencing recreation
behaviour.
See also: participation, recreation; recreational
demand; recreational need
Further reading
Dwyer, J.F. and Hutchison, R. �1990) `Outdoor
recreation participation and preferences by
black and white Chicago households', in J.
Vining �ed.) Social Science and Natural Resource
Recreation Management, Boulder, CO: Westview,
49±67.
Hendee, J.C., Gale, R.P. and Catton, W.R., Jr
�1971) À typology of outdoor recreation activity
preferences', Journal of Environmental Education 3:
28±34.
Rodgers, B. �1967) `The weekend life', New Society,
20 July: 78±9.
DAVID MERCER, AUSTRALIA
benchmarking
Benchmarking is a process whereby a business
enterprise identifies industry leaders, compares
products, services and practices, then implements
procedures to upgrade its performance to
match or surpass its competitors. Benchmarking
has ready application in tourism where examples
include the accommodation guides published by
motoring organisations from which the ratings may
provide a stimulus towards improved facilities and
performance for participants.
benefit±cost analysis
benefit±cost analysis 51
JOHN J. PIGRAM, AUSTRALIA
Benefit±cost analysis is a systematic method for
evaluating the economic feasibility of a public
investment, project, plan or other action. Its aim
is to lead decision makers in public organisations
towards the optimal use of resources by displaying
the outcome of a variety of alternative
scenarios. The questions this analysis is designed
to answer is whether this project is feasible �that is,
do benefits exceed costs), which of a series of
competing projects should be developed, or in what
order projects should be developed.
Benefit±cost analysis serves as a tool in public
organisations, where decision making is based
widely on economic, social and environmental
grounds rather than on the economic arguments
alone. Its use in public organisations is analogous to
the use of capital budgeting in private organisations.
For instance, in a tourism enterprise that
planned on the construction of a new establishment,
such as a hotel property, capital budgeting
would be useful to compare the amount of capital
spent to future profit expectations. The scope of the
analysis is however wider, as it evaluates projects
from a public or social perspective rather than just
from the perspective of a single agency.
This method of analysis serves in questions in
which both the public interest and economic
performance must be considered. Such decision
making could touch, for instance, road building or
preservation of wilderness areas for recreation.
The problems may also be comprehensive in