1998 Year of the Ocean Coastal Tourism and Recreation 



INTRODUCTION 



Coastal tourism and recreation are important parts of the largest and most rapidly 

 growing activity in the world — international tourism. Tourism and recreation-related 

 development is one of the major factors shaping development patterns in the coastal zones of the 

 United States. Foreign tourism to the United States, much of it coastal-motivated, provides 

 significant economic benefits that relate directly to the U.S. position in an increasingly 

 competitive global economy (Houston, 1995). Hence, any analysis of U.S. interests in coasts and 

 oceans must take account of this very significant grouping of interrelated activities. Government 

 at all levels must assume appropriate proactive roles to shape and guide coastal tourism 

 development. This paper reviews the importance of coastal tourism and recreation to the United 

 States and its citizens and identifies gaps where action is needed. 



In this presentation, the term "coastal tourism and recreation" embraces the full range of 

 tourism, leisure, and recreationally oriented activities that take place in the coastal zone and the 

 offshore coastal waters. These include coastal tourism development (hotels, resorts, restaurants, 

 food industry, vacation homes, second homes, etc.), and the infrastructure supporting coastal 

 development (retail businesses, marinas, fishing tackle stores, dive shops, fishing piers, 

 recreational boating harbors, beaches, recreational fishing facilities, and the like). Also included 

 is ecotourism and recreational activities such as recreational boating, cruises, swimming, 

 recreational fishing, snorkeling and diving. Coastal tourism and recreation in this presentation 

 likewise includes the public and private programs affecting all the aforementioned activities. 



Of all the activities that take place in coastal zones and the near-shore coastal ocean, none 

 is increasing in both volume and diversity more than coastal tourism and recreation. Both the 

 dynamic nature of this sector and its magnitude demand that it be actively taken into account in 

 government plans, policies, and programs related to the coasts and ocean. Indeed, virtually all 

 coastal and ocean issue areas affect coastal tourism and recreation either directly or indirectly. 

 Clean water, healthy coastal habitats, and a safe, secure, and enjoyable environment are clearly 

 fundamental to successfiil coastal tourism. Similarly, bountiful living marine resources (fish, 

 shellfish, wetlands, coral reefs, etc.) are of critical importance to most recreational experiences. 

 Security from risks associated with natural coastal hazards such as storms, hurricanes, tsunamis, 

 and the like is a requisite for coastal tourism to be sustainable over the long term. 



The United States is currently a major beneficiary of intemafional tourism, which is the 

 most rapidly expanding economic sector in the world today. In 1995, travel and tourism are 

 estimated to have provided $746 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP), about 10% of 

 U.S. output, making travel and tourism the second largest contributor to GDP just behind 

 combined wholesale and retail trade (Houston, 1995). Travel and tourism is America's largest 

 employer, employing 14.4 million annually (in contrast, for example, all U.S. manufacturing 

 industries from IBM to General Motors to Intel employ only 18 million people (Houston, 1995). 



Although precise figures are difficult to obtain, estimates based on foreign tourism data 

 from coastal states like Florida and California suggest that as many as one-half of foreign tourists 



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