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Leisure Tourism, Serious

Sociologist Robert Stebbins has been developing the concept of serious leisure since the 1980s. In his book Serious Leisure: A Perspective for Our Time, he defines it as

the systematic pursuit of an amateur, hobbyist, or volunteer core activity that people find so substantial, interesting and fulfilling that, in the typical case, they launch themselves on a (leisure) career centered on acquiring and expressing a combination of its special skills, knowledge, and experience. (p. 4)

Serious leisure studies brought a significant theoretical development to the field, dividing the concept into project-based, casual, and serious leisure.

Project-based leisure, though involving serious planning, effort, and skills, because it takes place occasionally and infrequently is not considered serious leisure by Stebbins. Casual leisure is underpinned in the notion of fun, enjoyable, ...

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