RECREATION AND TOURISM 



Harry McGlnnis, Ph.D. 



Department of Public Administration 



Florida State University 



Tallahassee, FL 



INTRODUCTION 



The purpose of this report is to synthesize data on tourism and and out- 

 door recreation in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf, and 

 Franklin Counties in Northwest Florida. The data and analyses will be used to 

 help assess the potential impacts of OCS oil and gas development on tourism 

 and outdoor recreation. The sections on the State of Florida overview and the 

 potential impacts of oil and gas exploration and development in this report, 

 and its companion report for Southwest Florida, are similar and are intended 

 to be so. 



Recreation is a major use characteristic of coastal Florida. According 

 to the Natural Resources Defense Council (1976), coastal recreation per capita 

 is 10 days annually. Sport fishing attracts millions of resident and out-of- 

 state (tourist) saltwater anglers, and is a multimillion dollar a year 

 business. Hunting, surfing, boating, skin diving, beach recreation, and 

 nature studies are popular coastal activities. In recent decades the demand 

 for recreation has been increasing, but opportunities have been declining. 

 Only a small fraction of Florida's coastline is now available for public rec- 

 reation and some of the finest and more accessible areas are being developed 

 for other uses. 



The rapid population growth, urbanization, urban sprawl, the automobile, 

 and new highways have reduced the amount of land available for recreation. 

 Each year it becomes more expensive and more difficult to obtain new areas for 

 playgrounds, parks, forests, wildlife management areas, scenic routes, and 

 fish and wildlife preserves. 



Water resources are in need of a comprehensive program of restoration and 

 expansion. The problems caused by water pollution, sedimentation and dredge 

 and fill operations, have reduced the value of coastal waters as recreation 

 areas. As Floridians and tourists increase their mobility, disposable income, 

 and leisure time, their demands for recreation and tourism also increase. The 

 consequences are that many different interest groups are likely to compete for 

 the use of a limited supply of resources. 



Perhaps the most visible problem created by a rapidly shrinking natural 

 coastline is that of public access to fishing grounds (Hinman 1978). Sewage 

 disposal and silt-laden runoff from dredge and fill navigation projects usual- 

 ly increase turbidity and lead to deleterious effects on estuarine and near- 

 shore fisheries. Most fisherman must venture farther offshore to less 

 polluted water, which leads to a greater expenditure of time and money. Bell 

 (1978) states that increasing population, higher real per capita incomes, 

 shorter work weeks, and longer vacations mean more leisure time and money for 

 outdoor recreation. The effect of increasing demand and dwindling supply will 



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