Time free from work and obligatory duties can be filled with rest, hobbies, or travel. That free time is leisure. Tourism is one of the major ways people choose to use it.

Leisure travel differs from business travel in motivation and often in pacing. The same destination can feel entirely different when approached with leisure rather than urgency. Industries from resorts to cultural venues depend on people having both leisure time and disposable income.

How societies structure working hours, paid leave, and retirement shapes the volume and style of leisure travel. Individuals differ in whether they prefer active leisure or complete disconnection. Protecting some unstructured time within a trip often increases overall satisfaction.

Leisure is the scarce resource that makes tourism possible.