1998 Year of the Ocean Coastal Tourism and Recreation 



tourism are addressed, with emphasis on relevant developments on sustainable tourism at the 

 international level. The final section of this paper presents options for consideration regarding the 

 areas covered, and opportunities for cooperative action with coastal states and communities, the 

 private sector, and nongovernmental organizations. 



COASTAL TOURISM AND RECREATION AND THE U.S. ECONOMY 



Growth in International Travel and Tourism 



Travel and tourism is the world's largest industry. As reported by the World Tourism 

 Organization, travel and tourism involved more than 528 million people internationally and 

 generated $322 billion in receipts in 1994. In 1995, travel and tourism generated an estimated 

 $3.4 trillion in gross output — creating employment for 21 1.7 million people, producing 10.9 

 percent of world gross domestic product, investing $693.9 billion in new facilities and 

 equipment, and contributing more than $637 billion to global tax revenues (quoted in an undated 

 publication by the World Trade and Tourism Council, pp. 33-34). 



The mammoth global tourism industry is a "massive consumer of energy and resources" 

 (Rearden, 1993, p. 166), and is expected to continue to grow significantly in the future. In 1995, 

 the World Tourism Organization forecasted international arrivals worldwide to reach 661 million 

 by the year 2000, up from 528 million in 1994, with arrivals predicted to reach 937 million by 

 2010 (Savignac, 1995). By 2005, it is estimated that the industry will have expanded globally, 

 generating employment for 305 million people, producing 1 1.4 percent of world gross domestic 

 product, investing $1,613 billion in new facilities and equipment, and contributing more than 

 $1,369 billion in tax revenue (WTTC et al., p. 34). This growth in world tourism is related to 

 three main factors: increased personal incomes and leisure time, improvements in transportation 

 systems, and greater public awareness of other areas of the world due to improved 

 communicafions (UNEP, 1992, p. 3). 



Foreign tourism has been a very important factor for the U.S. economy. In 1994, 45.5 

 million international visitors came to the United States, according to the Department of 

 Commerce, and spent $60 billion dollars (Wildavsky, 1995). The U.S. travel and tourism 

 industry, with 6 million jobs, represents the second-largest employer in the United States after 

 health care (Wildavsky, 1995). In 1986, the United States was the world's leading tourism 

 destination (Miller, 1993). However, since that time, the U.S. leadership poshion in world 

 tourism has been eroding; in 1996, France became the world's leading tourism desfination. In 

 1995, the Commerce Department projected a 2.5 million dip in the number of intemafional 

 visitors to the United States and a dip in tourism revenues of 2.7 percent (Wildavsky, 1995). 

 Continuing economic difficulties in Europe and the strengthening of the U.S. dollar could 

 account for some of this decline. 



F-4 



