Role of Leisure in Development: A Study of Hill State of Uttarakhand, India

Modern societies are often characterized as leisure societies. Leisure is time to relax, relaxation from work and working atmosphere. India is a fast growing country but the difference between the economic groups is still quite wide. India has a variety of economic groups from top to bottom income level. Leisure industry is connected to both, top and bottom of the economic order, imparting leisure services to the top order and providing economic opportunities to the down order of economic groups. These leisure providing agencies give services to those having money and while doing so give economic opportunities to economically backward localities. Present study is an empirical study of leisure resorts situated in hill state of Uttarakhand, India. This is a descriptive as well as an analytical study in which role of leisure agencies or resorts in providing economic opportunities to the hill people is analyzed. In absence of these economic opportunities they are forced to migrate to other areas. Objectives of this study are: (1) To describe the leisure activities provided by these resorts. (2) To study the role of resorts in the development of local/ regional people. (3) To study the revenue generated for tourism industry by these resorts.

The resorts are providing a variety of good leisure/ recreational activities to people having busy working schedule. Some resorts are also organizing adventure camps. Popularity of some resorts is so good that celebrities from distant places come here continuously for their vacations. These resorts give job opportunities to local people. They also use locally grown vegetables and flowers and give opportunities for organic farming, horticulture, and floriculture. A practice of home stay is also there in which locals give a homely atmosphere to the tourists and this help them economically and also boost up the revenue for tourism industry.