It is now widely recognized that recreation is as important as work. This revealing book analyzes leisure and outdoor recreation in terms of both their management and their wider importance to society. Specifically, it:

• clarifies the link between leisure, recreation, tourism and resource management
• reviews contemporary outdoor recreation management and concepts
• critically examines approaches to outdoor recreation planning and management in diverse recreational settings
• considers the future of outdoor recreation and the potential influences of economic, social, political and technological developments.

Wide-ranging and topical, it considers such issues as motivation and choice, provision for people with special needs, the impact of outdoor recreation on the environment, and outdoor recreation in both urban and rural contexts.
This comprehensively revised second edition has many sections rewritten and expanded to reflect contemporary development in leisure and outdoor recreation management in countries such as Australia, Canada, the UK, the US and New Zealand. With an extensive bibliography of more than 500 references and including further reading sections and review questions, it is an essential student purchase and one of the most comprehensive and international accounts of outdoor recreation management available.