The World Leisure Organization (WLO) is a worldwide, non-governmental association of persons and organizations dedicated to discovering and fostering the conditions that best permit leisure to serve as a force for human growth, development and wellbeing. The organization was incorporated in 1956 in New York City. It is the belief of the World Leisure Organization that well selected leisure experiences improve one’s quality of life.
The World Leisure Organization works toward its mission by hosting forums and events that allow for the formal and informal dissemination of knowledge and information; engaging in informed advocacy surrounding conditions that optimize leisure experiences in regards to legislation, infrastructure, leadership and programming; and fostering inquiry through research and scholarship to allow for the discovery of personal and social potentialities of leisure experiences.
Today the organization hosts numerous events throughout the world that aim to advocate for and educate on the importance of leisure in communities while also highlighting places that have elevated leisure to a prominent standing.