The future of leisure studies in six landscapes

What is the future of leisure studies? The answer is as undefined as the field’s past. Leisure studies have always lacked a true, unified governing body (e.g. no general assembly) that has established defined parameters, principles, key concepts, and a set of values that provide an ethic to and for activity. However, in happenstance, the field has produced a large volume of various forms of both popular and academic content, and most importantly the six represented professional associations of this discussion (World Leisure Organization, The Academy of Leisure Sciences, Leisure Studies Association, Canadian Association for Leisure Studies, Australian and New Zealand Association for Leisure Studies, and China-International Leisure Research Association). While ’what is the future of leisure studies?’ is not unequivocally answered, the presented discussion identifies potential next steps for the establishment of topical panels, a series of special issues, and stand-alone symposia.