An exploratory study of gendered differences in young tourists perception of danger within London

This paper studies young tourists' perception of danger within the urban ho liday environment of London, England. The study of perceived danger is impo rtant not only in its own right, but also because of the influence it may h ave on use of leisure spaces and times. This research assesses gender and g roup composition differences in perception of danger, addressing the relati vely neglected issues of men's perception and the relationship between the genders. For the purpose of this paper 'danger' was assessed by studying ho w safe, relaxed, vulnerable, threatened, and at risk people felt while in L ondon. The study found a number of similarities and differences between the men and women studied, in terms of how they perceived danger and their gro up composition during the day and nigh-time. These results indicate that ge nder may not be the only influence on perception and behaviour, and that me n and women should not be regarded as-homogenous cohorts. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.