Miles Phillips Nature Tourism Program Specialist

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Miles Phillips Nature Tourism Program Specialist
Texas Nature Tourism

• Email mdphillips_at_ag.tamu.edu
• Phone [phone]

http//naturetourism.tamu.edu
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TPWD Nature Tourism in TexasFact Sheet- August
2001

• Birdwatchers to Santa Ana NWR contributed 59
  million in direct expenditures to the Lower Rio
  Grande Valley (4 County Area)
• Nature Tourists to Rockport HummerBird Festival
  contributed 1.4 million in direct expenditures in
  1995

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Texan Nature Tourists

• According to a recent Fish and Wildlife Service
  study 2001, p 112-114
• Texas Population 15,445,000 (gt15 yrs old)
• 7 travel away from home to view wildlife.
  (1,043,000 people)
• (174,000) Nature Tourists come to Texas each
  year from out of state.
• Total Expenditures in Texas 1.3 Billion

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Texas - Rural Tourism Travel to Rural Texas
April 2001 (Data from 1999 TXDOT Report)

• Why people travel to rural Texas
• 73 of rural visitors there for leisure only 27
  for business
• 20 listed nature as the primary reason/activity
  for rural travel
• An additional 13 listed hunting or fishing
• 24 million visitor days to rural texas/ year

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Resources

• Web Site Nature Tourism Information Center
• http//naturetourism.tamu.edu
• Nature Tourism Handbook
• Revenue Projection Spreadsheet
• La Copita Demonstration Ranch
• Field Days, Publications on-site consultation
• Training Programs Interpretive Guides, Marketing
  etc
• Nature Tourism Toolkit CD

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Revenue Projection Spreadsheet - Input
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Ecotourism on Family Forests

• By Miles Phillips
• Texas Cooperative Extension
• January 21, 2005

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Practical Tools Techniques

• Success is the best motivator reward
• Show Examples of Success
• Use Practical planning evaluation methods

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7a Ranch, Hondo TX Organic Beef and Tours,
Parties, Corn Maze
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Canadian, TexasResults of Using Nature Tourism
for Economic DevelopmentTown Pop. 2,200

• 160 new jobs, 12 BBs, 4 new restaurants
• Renovation of 29 commercial buildings 16 are
  historic downtown buildings
• Restoration and reopening of local motel
• 28 increase in sales tax since 1999

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El Canelo Ranch, Willacy Countywww.elcaneloranch.
com/

• Hunting customers (500/yr) from all over the
  U.S., Nature tourists (1000/yr) from all 50
  states and foreign countries
• Most hunting is repeat business, most nature
  tourism is word of mouth 90 of income is from
  wildlife-related recreation

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La Mota RanchJim Hogg County www.lamotaranch.com/

• 8500 acres same family since 1895
• Interpretive group tours for winter Texans
• Cow camp meal, cowboy skills, history of ranch,
  tour of pastures (5 hours on ranch)
• Contract with bus tour company Tourist pays 52,
  25 goes to ranch,
• Jan.- March makes- 25,000, 1-2 tours per week
• Be what you are nothing phony, involve your
  family
• Bill Hellen

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Bird Watching Is Becoming An Important Source Of
Nature Tourism
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Friday RanchUvalde County

• 7,000 acres on the Nueces River, cattle, sheep,
  goats (Angora, Spanish), horses
• Hunting, wildlife viewing, photography, tubing,
  canoeing, horseback riding, hiking/biking, guided
  tours, wildlife art by owner, corporate retreats
• Guest houses, 25 miles of trails/ranch roads,
  guests provided with map, pasture gates have
  location signs
• Most guests from Texas. Market using Internet, TX
  Accom. Guide, Regional Tourism Group, Direct
  Mail, Word of Mouth
• 25 income from Nature Tourism, 50 from Hunting,
  25 from livestock income from nature tourism
  growing

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Operation Theme Examples
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Historical Crafts Hobbies Skills
Training Social/Religious Tom Sawyer
Experience
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Hunting Fishing Bird Watching Trail
Activities Special Events Festivals
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Closely guided tours of sustainable logging
operations. Closely guided tours of portable
sawmills, furniture manufacturers, toy makers,
wood artists, and canoe makers. Overnight
camping/tent/yurt experiences out in the forest.
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Hands-on field tours on enhancing wildlife
habitats. Guided tours during timber stand
improvement activities. Seasonal tours,
snowshoe tours of woods in the winter.
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1 The Tourism Product

• Experience vs Object
• 5 Elements of Tourism Experience
• Anticipation/Planning
• Travel To Site
• Experience on Site
• Travel From Site
• Recollection/Memories
• Pricing Methods
• Cost
• Going Rate
• Value

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Hey guide! What makes this trail were
following ?
Interpretive Guides Giving guests a new
perspective on human/animal interaction, local
heritage local history.
We are on a people trail! Be careful they
sometimes get out of that metal shell
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5 Themes for Consultations

• Owner Goals Legal Implications
• Marketing Market Data
• Location
• Operational Limits
• Retail Product

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Themes for Consultations

• The Importance of helping the owner clarify long
  term goals, financial and otherwise.
• Success is defined by the owner!
• Legal Implications

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Themes for Consultations

• 2. Marketing Market Data
• The Importance of the Comparables, Themes Media
• Partners, Suppliers, Buyers, Government

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Marketing Tips
1 Plan for good Word of Mouth Plan for quality
from the start Word of mouth will probably be
the most important marketing tool you have. Each
visitor is likely to cause 50 people to hear
about their experience with you good or bad.

• 2 GET A WEB SITE!
• 37 of Texas visitors booked travel online
• 6.5 Billion spending overall
• 67 researched travel on-line

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Man Eating Trees !

• Legends Tall Tales are great fun and can
  promote interest!
• But make sure guests leave with the truth!

Pay for / train / hire, good guides A bad guide
or no guide can damage the experience.
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Keep it realUnder promiseOver Deliver
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Themes for Consultations

• 3. Know the Importance of Location
• Who, When, Why are people coming to your area
• Are you a Destination or Activity?

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Themes for Consultations

• 4. Compatible Operations Setting Limits
• From the resource/owners viewpoint
• From the market/tourist viewpoint

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Themes for Consultations

• Using Tourism to Enhance Retail Product Sales
• Sell Value Added Products that Market your site

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The Internet A Connection to the World Market
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July 1998
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Idaho Recreation Tourism
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The Eco-tourism MarketThe Ecotourism Society
Fact Sheet 1998

• Based on 1998 Survey of US households half
  (48.1) participated in nature activities during
  their last vacation.
• 30 of travelers planned their trip with nature
  activities in mind
• 15 planned trip so that nature activities
  consumed the majority of their vacation time
• Visiting parks and hiking were the number 1 and 2
  most common activities

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Trends-National USFW Survey on Hunting, Fishing
and Wildlife-Associated Recreation- 2001

• Wildlife Observation
• ExpendituresINCREASED 40 (1991-2001)
• Hunting
• ExpendituresINCREASED 29 (1991-2001)
• Average Annual Expenditure
• Wildlife Watcher - 510, Total Impact 40
  Billion
• Hunter 1,581, Total Impact 20 Billion

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Expenditures in the U.S. forWildlife Watching
1996
Nearly 63 million people spent 31 billion
observing, feeding, and photographing wildlife.
Source 1996 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting,
and Wildlife-Associated Recreation
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Flying L Very Slow Site
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Lake Fork Marina RV
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The Habitat
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RGV BB Map
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Knolle BB
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King
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Beths
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Bay Prarie
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Thank you, The End
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Miles Phillips Nature Tourism Program Specialist
Texas Nature Tourism

• Email mdphillips_at_ag.tamu.edu
• Phone [phone]

http//naturetourism.tamu.edu