Data Users

Topic Overview (Summary of NOAA data & products related to Tourism)

Filter by Region: National ------------------------ Alaska Central Great Lakes North Atlantic Pacific Islands Southeast & Caribbean Gulf of Mexico Western

Billions of dollars in recreational and commercial activity depend on healthy coastal, ocean, and freshwater environments. In 2006, nearly 110 million trips were made by U.S. households to the beach. And those households spent an average of $850 per trip. California's coastal industries alone contribute more than $17 billion and 370,000 jobs to the state's economy. Hawaii's coral reefs provide commercial, recreational and subsistence fishing opportunities, create world famous surfing and diving locations, and are vital to the State's approximately $800 million/year marine tourism industry. In 2002, Hawaii's coral reefs were valued at nearly $10 billion when combining recreational, amenity, fishery, and biodiversity values, with direct economic benefits of $360 million/year (Cesar et al., 2002).

However, pressures on these systems are increasing and in some cases have already caused severe effects such as fishery closures, harmful algal blooms, and degradation to coastal ecosystems. Estimates of economic losses from coral reef degradation in the Caribbean alone range from $350-870 million/year by 2015 to coastal countries which currently receive annual economic benefits from fisheries, dive tourism, and shoreline protection services valued collectively at $3-4 billion/year (Burke and Maidens, 2004). NOAA's careful monitoring of this fragile ecosystem improves our understanding of these resources and helps ensure their continued prosperity. With its close connections to the environment and climate itself, tourism is considered to be a highly climate sensitive economic sector similar to agriculture, insurance, energy, and transportation.

The effects of possible climate change will be highly relevant for tourism destinations and tourists alike, requiring adaptation by all major tourism stakeholders. Many local and regional tourist destinations have cultivated a reputation for certain activities or expectations that are mainly based upon the local climate. Florida is known for beach vacations, while Vermont is known primarily for winter skiing. If these climate conditions were to change over time, it would likely have a negative impact on existing tourist industries. Some examples of ways in which climate changes might influence tourism include:

• Higher temperatures and increased frequency, duration and intensity of heat waves reducing skiing seasons at winter tourism destinations. May reduce daytime outdoor recreation at summer tourist destinations.
• Changes in precipitation amounts and patterns altering river and lake levels, resulting in impact on fishing and boating industries. May also reduce winter snow packs.
• Increased drought resulting in reduced outdoor activity (e.g., campfire bans) and agricultural tourism (e.g., wine country).