Recreatie en platteland : een explorerende studie over de ontwikkeling van de recreatieve functie van het platteland, de betrokkenheid bij deze ontwikkeling van de bewoners van het platteland en hun houding ten opzichte van deze functie

Due to urbanisation and industrialisation the countryside in the Netherlands is becoming more and more important for outdoor recreation and as a tourist attraction for city dwellers, in addition to its original and, until now, dominant agricultural role.The most important problem discussed in this study is: What influence does the development of recreation and tourism have on the living conditions for the population in those rural areas?In order to study this problem completely it would be necessary to carry out investigations among the population of many rural districts. Only two areas have been studied during this research.Broadly speaking, the factors influencing rural living conditions, concerning the effects of recreation, can be divided into three groups.The first group may be considered as: 'The ways in which outdoor recreation and tourism are developed'. The rate at which these functions have developed, the number of people seeking recreation and where they come from, the length of stay, their motives for going to the countryside and whether they return regularly, where they stop, e.g. in the villages or in isolated 'enclaves', are included in this group. These questions are dealt with in the first part of this investigation.The second group may be considered as: 'The effects of the development of outdoor recreation in the countryside on the countryside itself'. What spatial and scenic effects occur due to this development? What accommodation is constructed? What new economic possibilities are created if an area is turned into a tourist attraction? Is there a great deal of money flowing into the area in question, in the form of subsidies, for the development of the infrastructure for tourism and recreation? What social effects does the development of tourism have on the area in question? Is the existing community spirit lost? Is there much contact between the country-dwellers and the tourists? What cultural influence takes place? Do the inhabitants of rural