Leisure can be described as a portion of one's time that is unobligated, implies freedom and choice, and usually involves participation in an activity. Leisure service organizations provide services that, generally, prescribe to this definition. However, some fulfill this purpose better than others.
Outdoor Camps / Non-Profit – Kohn2
Many of the different types of leisure delivery service agency have similarities to that of outdoor camps, but also many differences. For example, Campus Recreation goal an purpose is to supply a group of people (students) leisure. This type of agency is similar to camps because they both try to serve a group of people in trying to bring happiness through recreation. One difference they have is that most campus recreation activities are free to students, whereas Outdoor camps cost money to the client. One agency that is very different in goals is cruise lines. Though their intention is to show people a great time and vacation, the overall goal is to make money. This differs from the agency I researched because Camp Chi is non-profit, meaning that all the funds they receive from campers, goes back into the campers. This is the same case for students and the campus recreation.
Camp Chi’s ability to serve as a leisure provider is impressive. After being there for nearly a decade, the staff works relentlessly to make sure children are having fun through recreation, play, and leisure. Though these terms might sound the same, they apply differently for different campers. To satisfy all campers, the camp provides play through games and activities, recreation through sports, and leisure through relaxation and the friends they make. Camp Chi provides more than just leisure. This is a different type of leisure delivery than private membership organizations because places like country clubs, like the Champaign country club offer recreation through sports like golf, tennis, and swimming. One agency that is similar to outdoor camps is cruise lines because they offer so many types of leisure – travel, sports, games, drinking, eating.
The agency I researched fulfils its role as a leisure service provider because they continually make campers, and staff, happy. The camp continues to provide over 1000 campers leisure each summer. Also, their staff enjoys themselves so much they have over 100 returning staff members every summer.
Jake Payne-Tourism and Hospitality Industry
Leisure can be defined in many ways but the way our group defined it is as a portion of one’s time that is unobligated, implies freedom and choice, and usually involves participation in an activity. In my project I chose to take a look at the corporation of Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. This industry is almost completely centered on leisure and I believe that this cruise line exemplifies that mentality. They are a customer first business and realize that when people arrive on their cruise ships they are looking to get away from their normal lives. They help facilitate people in relaxing, having fun and even being adventurous. They take people to most of the world’s most exclusive and exotic locations. This leaves a lot of choices for the customer and does not limit them to the amount of leisure they can experience.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines help create unobligated time by not requiring its guests to do anything they do not want to. Guests on this cruise line have the ability to relax next to one of the ships beautiful pools all day. They also have the freedom to play basketball or climb on the rock wall. This leaves the customer the freedom to do almost whatever they desire without having to participate in activities that are scheduled and structured if they do not want to. Another way in which the customer experiences freedom and choices is with meals. They can choose to eat at the buffet any time of the day, but they also have the luxury of eating at one of their world-class restaurants. Also another feature of these dining facilities is the shows that are put on while people eat.
This cruise line also covers another part of our definition and that is that sometimes leisure involves participation in activities. Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines offers many structured activities. These activities range from dance lessons to basketball tournaments. This allows people to learn new things that they might not have the opportunity to at home. Not only does this stimulate leisure on the ship but some things can stimulate a lifetime of leisure. I know that the salsa dancing lessons I took while on my cruise have stuck with me and I have been able to use the things I learned while in other environments. Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines are one of the leaders in the cruising industry, and to me they are excellent at facilitating leisure to a wide variety of people. This company exemplifies our definition of leisure because they allow people the freedom to participate in a wide variety of activities.
Campus Recreation – The ARC – Landjel2
There are many types of leisure delivery service organizations and between them all they have similarities and differences. Campus recreation for instance shares these similarities and differences with other organizations. For example, the goal of campus recreation is to serve a group of people (mostly students) with leisure and recreation. This is very similar to public recreation’s goal because it too serves a group of people with leisure and recreation. Another similarity between the two has to do with how the agency is funded. Both are free to its users. Students are able to use campus recreation for no free and public recreation (such as parks) is generally free to the public as well. One agency that is different from these two is commercial recreation and private organizations. They both have the profit motive and have a fee or charge to use their services.
Campus recreation has key program elements that set it apart from others as well. Whereas a public agency is free to the general public, campus recreation is still free but it serves a smaller group of people. Everyone who uses campus recreation has a common tie, they all attend the same university. They also have many structured opportunities other than just work out equipment. It offers students the chance to participate in intramural sports and other activities. For instance, many public recreation and park agencies are have limited economic ability. But a lot of campus recreation services stay strong from campus funding and the increasing amounts of students interested in campus recreation. However, campus recreation can sometimes be on the downside for not charging fees because it can also be affected by the economy. They are not able to offer as much as a commercial recreation agency might because they simply do not have the same profit.
Overall, campus recreation and especially the agency I researched, the ARC, fulfills its purpose. We are very lucky to be on a large campus that has such a tremendous campus recreation program available to all of its students. Its objective is to serve the students and give students what they want out of leisure and wellness. Most campus recreation services do just that. The Arc for instance is constantly researching what students want and change what they do to make students happy. For example, they installed individual i-pod decks and televisions on the work out equipment to please the students. With a small known group as its users, campus recreation is able to please its students.
NON Profit org- Cunningham Children's Home ltaylor8
There are multiple ways that one could define leisure. One would assume that leisure mostly means organized or unorganized rest and relaxation. However leisure is defined by the one who is participating in it. The Cunningham Children’s Home is a home that was established to offer children a place of hope, love, and fun. The Home is funded by sponsors as well as some government funding, however the vision is the most important reason why the Home is still up and running.
The Children's home idea of leisure would definitely have to be providing emotional, social, educational and spiritual support to children, youth and families by providing a safe, nurturing, therapeutic environment in which individuals may experience personal growth and healing. The key elements of this program are that they aim to satisfy the needs of children who may not have been born into the most fortunate of situations. Therefore they are helping mold them into our future leaders.
The Cunningham Children’s Home is strong when it comes to providing leisure because they give the children the opportunity to have downtime, and a plentitude of activities that are not only self serving and uplifting but just for pure unstructured fun. This strength definitely sets it apart from other children’s homes that are aiming to help children but they are heavily focused on the funding rather than bettering the lives of children.
Commercial Business – iHotel – chen205
The objective of this commercial business is to provide the best services to all of its customers. It aims to let its customers enjoy leisure by letting themselves choose what they want to participate in. Because iHotel is a commercial business, it’s funded by the customers, who are usually businessmen and businesswomen. What differentiates iHotel from other hotels is its concentration on the Conference Center. As a leisure service provider, the iHotel does a good job planning events for a variety of corporations; but its weaknesses are that these “events” aren’t entirely relaxing because they are more for “business” than for “leisure services.” Though these events are all of “freedom and choice,” they are not necessary “unobligated.” However, by looking at the customer’s comments, we know that iHotel has fulfilled its goals.
The iHotel is not very different from campus recreation centers because commercial business’s goal is also to make itself “a place for everyone.” Though it is not entirely funded by the University of Illinois, it serves all the students and faculty here as well. It also serves members from around Champaign and Urbana and anyone else who wants to come. The ARC is different from other recreation centers on campuses because it offers a variety of facilities, including but not limited to cooking classrooms, wellness counseling centers, and outdoor swimming pool. iHotel itself also has a fitness center for all customers.
iHotel is definitely entirely different from non-profit organizations, since those organizations’ primary goal is to serve kids with special needs whereas iHotel is serving those that have the means. Non-profit organizations get their money from fundraisers and commercial businesses get their money from customers. Key program elements that set this non-profit apart from commercial are the specialized programs designed for children who cannot enjoy normal leisure activities with other children. One of the activities offered is tutoring services, which actually helped the children catch up with their schoolwork. iHotel certainly doesn’t provide support for its customers. It’s main goal is to “add” while non-profit organizations’ goal is to “strengthen.”
All of the leisure serivce organizations discussed share the main function of leisure. How they individually go about providing this leisure, who they cater to, and how they finance their endeavors are what distinguish the types of service organizations from one another. When one definition of leisure is decided upon, undoubtedly some organizations will fulfill that function better than others. While all of these organizations are in the "quality of life" business, they depend upon the different interpretations of leisure to shape how and what services they offer.
