Careers in Recreation Management & Tourism

This section attempts to put recreation and tourism into a common perspective by providing models of the recreation and tourism industry and tracing a common career path that can be taken to get into the industry. They include:

The Tourism Industry Model
The Managed Recreation Industry Model

Traditionally, recreation is viewed as a series of activities, most often provided by government, such as city parks and recreation and state and national parks, and some non-profits like the YMCA.

Tourism, traditionally, has somehow been separated into its own category, often viewed as outsiders coming in to take part in some of the local attractions, specially developed for them, and not frequented by locals. In the Recreation Management and Tourism Program at Davis & Elkins College, both recreation and tourism are viewed as being a part of leisure, with the tourist needing additional services because they have had to travel, and consequently, needing more information because of their lack of familiarity with an area, and, if staying overnight, lodging and food services.

In the professional tourism literature recreation is part of the ³industry,² including transportation, accommodations, activities, shopping, and natural or man-made resources.

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