The Meaning of Leisure for Residents in Hong Kong

Abstract

This article reports an inductive analysis of the meanings of leisure and the meaningfulness of its pursuit withheld by residents in Hong Kong; the study probes into the constraints, experiences, and impacts of leisure participation. In-depth interviews and grounded theory methodology were adopted for this inquiry. It was found that freedom, happiness, enjoyment, and health are shared elements in participants' perceptions of leisure. A perceptual discrepancy has emerged as a recurring theme in their (de)construction of leisure through contrasting reality (or actuality) against the ideal (or desired) state. The study participants alluded to both tourism- related (extraordinary) and nontourism-related (ordinary) activities in their leisure experience. A favorable attitude was noted of the informants towards leisure travel and consuming hospitality outside their usual “home” environment. Implications of the study for hospitality and tourism as well as its limitations and future research are also reflected.

Keywords:

• leisure
• quality of life
• hospitality
• grounded theory methodology
• Hong Kong