The discussion in the paper is based on empirical data from the latest Norwegian holiday survey (carried out in 1991). In previous holiday surveys the main task has been, in addition to monitoring of the holiday travel among the Norwegian population, to register the activities (what the respondents have been doing) during their holiday trips. The 1991 survey has, however, been focused on the motives for going on vacation rather than the kind of activities the respondents have been practicing (Haukeland et al 1991).