Worldwide Survey by OpinionWay for AFP and relaxnews

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A 10-country survey of more than 5,000 people by the OpinionWay institute, published by AFP and relaxnews, shows the importance of leisure time and entertainment in people’s lives:

• 9 people out of 10 people say leisure time and entertainment are important or very important to their lives

Overall, 90 % of respondents felt leisure activities were either “important” or “very important” to their lives. The highest proportion - 96 % – came from the United States and the lowest – 83 % – from Russia.

• In the current economic situation, nearly one person in two wants more leisure time

When asked what they would prefer in the current economic situation, 46 % of respondents said they wanted more leisure time as opposed to less or no change.

Leading the survey was Mexico (80 %) followed by Russia (77 %), China (54 %), Germany (43 %) and France (42 %). In Japan, only 23 % of respondents wanted more leisure time.

• France and the United States: symbols of leisure and of art of living

Asked which country represented the symbol of leisure and good living, 19 % of respondents chose France, followed by the United States with 17 %, Australia 13 % and Italy 12 %. Spain and Dubai both scored 9 %.

• The ideal vacation leave: 5.3 weeks a year

Respondents on average chose 5.3 weeks as the ideal annual vacation time.

Russian and French respondents were at the top, saying the ideal vacation time would be 6.4 weeks a year, followed by Germany (6.0 weeks), United Arab Emirates (5.6 weeks) and the United Kingdom (5.5 weeks). The United States was at the bottom with 4.1 weeks a year.

• Entertainment: the favorite leisure activity

Entertainment (TV, cultural events, cinema) was the preferred leisure time activity of 46 % of the people questioned. Next on the list were travel, including weekend trips, with 22 %; doing things around the house (DIY, gardening, cooking etc.) with 18 %; and exercise, taking care of yourself with 9 %.

• The media are the first – but not only – source of leisure news

90% of people surveyed said giving information about leisure is part of the job of the media. Next on the list were official sources such as town halls, tourism offices and governments (83%) and commercial brands (67%).

In terms of effectiveness of the different media in providing news about leisure activities, the Internet was top at 91%, followed by television at 80 %, word of mouth 75 %, magazines 67 %, the daily press 65%, and radio 53%. Mobile phones and smart phones were chosen by 33 % of all respondents – a proportion that rose to 44% for just 15-24 year olds.

• Signs of a worldwide interest for leisure

79% of respondents said they would like to be informed of the 100 most important cultural events (concerts, festivals, shows, exhibitions, sports events etc.) taking place in the world in the next month.

Note: The survey questioned 5,145 people over the age of 15 via computer-assisted web interviews from October 13-22. Quotas ensured representative samples for gender, age, region and social grade. The countries covered were China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Russia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States.

The international news agency AFP and relaxnews, the first agency dedicated just to leisure news, will launch the first international wire for leisure news at the Fondation Cartier in Paris on January 19, 2009.

For full survey details and more information: www.afprelaxnews.com