Leisure Services Improve Life Quality
Faculty and staff of the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism (RST) at the University of Illinois work
to advance knowledge about the choices that people make for their discretionary time throughout the lifespan,
including outcomes of those choices at personal, family, community, and institutional levels. RST faculty and
staff apply their expertise to enhance the delivery of leisure services, recognizing that recreation, sport and
tourism are synergistic elements of a unique and multifaceted industry. RST appreciates the significance of play,
the contribution of arts, and the value of diversity. The research and engagement of RST foster healthy lifestyles,
environmental stewardship, effective management and marketing of organizations, and social and economic development
of communities.
The Impact of Media on Tourism
Associate Professor Carla Santos investigates tourism and how communication and media shape the
experience of both traveler and host. Her goal is to develop resources for creating and planning
high-quality tourism programs and services that are culturally and socially sustainable and that
recognize and balance the needs of tourists with those of the communities they visit.
Read more
about Dr. Santos's research.