171 



480 persons filled out the questionnaire. A summary of results is shown 

 in table IV.3.19. 



TABLE IV.3.19.— REASONS GIVEN FOR TOURIST INTEREST IN FRANKLIN COUNTY, JULY 1968 



Families 



Water-related 

 Home 



North Florida. __ 



Other Florida 



Alabama-Georgia 



Other South 



Non-South 



Total. _ 55 75 43 



Table IV.3.19 pertains only to travelers stopping on the mainland. 

 It is reasonable to assume that virtually all of the visitors to the off- 

 shore islands are there for "water- related" purposes and that the same 

 is true for residents of cottages built alongside the gulf (such as the 

 150 rooms in the Wilson's Beach cottages) . According to the Florida 

 Hotel and Restaurant Commission there were 248 rooms in 18 motels 

 and 249 rooms in the rental cottages within the county. Using the re- 

 sults of table IV.3.19 for the motels, and assuming that all of the 

 guests at the cottages are "water-related" it appears for Franklin 

 County as a whole that about two-thirds of the tourist business is 

 related to the estuary. 



The 1967 Florida Tourist Study published by the Florida Develop- 

 ment Commission shows 5,046 automobile tourists from out of state 

 with Franklin County as their destination. If arrivals by private 

 planes, boats, and buses are added the figure might be in the neigh- 

 borhood of 5,200. Adding the estimated number that came from 

 Florida brings the 1967 total to 7,800 of which an estimated 5,200 are 

 "water related." The Florida Development Commission shows the 

 average tourist stay to be 14.8 days and the average expenditure per 

 person per day to be $17.20. Because of the lower than average prices 

 of accommodations in Franklin County, average expenditures of $14 

 per day and an average stay of 15 days appear reasonable. For 1967 this 

 would yield a total estimate of $1,092,000. This source of income may 

 be expected to continue in the future at least commensurate with na- 

 tional or regional population increases as well as other factors. It has 

 been projected to increase to $3,571,600 in 1975 ; to $5,077,020 by 1980; 

 and to $13,377,000 by the year 2000. 



Effect on local residents 



Table IV.3.20 summarizes projections discussed earlier of the actual 

 and potential economic benefits which may be expected with proper 

 pollution control efforts in the Apalachicola Estuary. The main source 

 of income in 1967 was derived from the commercial fishing industry — 

 $4,868,118 — compared with $2,799,629 accruing to total incomes of 

 fish industry sources out of Franklin Countv and $1,463,280 for 

 tourisni in Franklin County for a grand total of $9,131,027. With 

 the maintenance of satisfactory conditions in the estuary's waters, 

 by the year 2000 it is anticipated that income from tourism will in- 

 crease by several magnitudes and that a grand total in excess of $44 

 million will be generated. 



