"Mintel's Leisure Intelligence has an excellent reputation for producing incisive reports to aid marketers and other business planners. Previous Sporting Activities in the Great Outdoors reports have proved treasure troves of consumer analysis and industry information and I have no doubt this latest edition will be equally welcomed by the outdoor sector."

- Andrew Maxted, Director, Marketing & Development, Outdoor Industries Association

The debate continues as to the definition of sport and it has proved a difficult one to pin down. For legislative purposes the Council of Europe's definition is the one that is generally adopted:

"Mintel's Leisure Intelligence has an excellent reputation for producing incisive reports to aid marketers and other business planners. Previous Sporting Activities in the Great Outdoors reports have proved treasure troves of consumer analysis and industry information and I have no doubt this latest edition will be equally welcomed by the outdoor sector."

- Andrew Maxted, Director, Marketing & Development, Outdoor Industries Association

The debate continues as to the definition of sport and it has proved a difficult one to pin down. For legislative purposes the Council of Europe's definition is the one that is generally adopted:

"Sport means all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental wellbeing, forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition at all levels."

- Council of Europe, European Sports Charter, 1993

Sporting activities that take place in the great outdoors are many and varied - from extreme sports such as white-water rafting, mountain biking and motocross to more mainstream sports like fishing and hiking. For the purposes of this report Mintel has restricted coverage to activities which essentially involve walking or climbing.

Other Mintel reports of relevance include:

- Sports Goods Retailing, Retail Intelligence - UK Report, January 2002

- Bicycles, Leisure Intelligence - UK Report, December 2001

- Extreme Sports, Leisure Intelligence - UK Report, November 2001

- Activity Days Out, Leisure Intelligence - UK Report, October 2001

- Golf, Leisure Intelligence - UK Report, June 2001

- Youth & Sport, Leisure Intelligence - UK Report, May 2001

- Motor Sports, Leisure Intelligence - UK Report, February 2001

- Special Report, Health & Fitness, 2001

- Leisure Centres and Swimming Pools, Leisure Intelligence - UK Report, April 2002.