Sustainable Development and Use of Our Natural Resources for Recreation and Tourism: The Ideal and the Reality

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Sustainable Development and Use of Our Natural
Resources for Recreation and Tourism The Ideal
and the Reality

• 2002 Idaho Governors Conference
  on Recreation
  and Tourism
• Nampa Civic Center
• May 2, 2002
• Dr. Steve Burr
• Director, Institute for Outdoor Recreation and
  Tourism
• College of Natural Resources, Utah State
  University

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Part 1Sustainable Development and Use of
Our
Natural Resources for Recreation and Tourism
The Ideal
and the Reality

• Utah Outdoor Recreation and Tourism
• Utah Tourism at a Glance2000
• Economic Benefits and Tourism Dependence
• Change and Resulting Benefits and Costs
• Institute for Outdoor Recreation and Tourism
• Idaho Tourism at a Glance
• Tourism as a Development Industry
• Rural Tourism Development
• Natural Resource-Based Tourism

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Part 1

Sustainable Development and Use of

Our Natural Resources for Recreation and Tourism
The
Ideal and the Reality

• Develop a Package of Activities
  and Experiences for Visitors
• Natural Allies
• Outdoor Recreation
• Nature Tourism
• Eco-Tourism
• Agricultural Tourism
• Heritage Tourism

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Utah Outdoor Recreation and Tourism

• Many Utahns asking that public lands
  and natural resources in the
  state be managed for amenity
  values associated with outdoor
  recreation, scenery, and wildlife.
• Large population component 18-40 years old with
  high demand for outdoor recreation activities.

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Utah Outdoor Recreation and Tourism

• International tourism
  expected to increase,
  
  especially because of
  international exposure
  during
  the 2002
  Winter Olympic Games
  
  in Salt Lake City.
• At the community level,
  tourism creates numerous
  jobs and incomes,
  
  and generates additional
  tax revenues as a result
  of visitor
  spending.

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Utah Tourism at a Glance2000

• Estimated 17.7 million
  non-resident person-trips to
  Utah
• 700,000 international visitors
• 4.25 billion in traveler spending
  for Utahs economy
• Tourism is among Utahs
  Top 5 economic
  activities
• 340 million generated in
  state and local tax
  revenues

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Utah Tourism at a Glance2000

• Employment
• 3.3 job growth in tourism sector surpassed total
  statewide job growth of 2.5.
• 125,500 total jobs in travel and tourism related
  industries
• 70,400 direct jobs
• 55,100 indirect/induced jobs
• Represents almost 12 of total
  
  non-agricultural employment or
  one in every nine jobs
  in the state.

Fifth largest employment sector after services,
trade, government, and manufacturing.
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Utah Tourism at a Glance2001 (estimates)

• 7 million non-resident person-trips to Utah
• 4 decline from 2000
• 7 decline from 1999s record
  of 18.2 million visitors
• 600,000 international visitors (off 14)
• 4.15 billion in traveler spending (off 2.4)
• 332 million generated in state and local
  tax revenues
• Positive job growth with 128,500 jobs (2.4) or
  one in every nine non-farm jobs.

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Utah Tourism at a Glance2000

• Six Counties Salt Lake, Utah, Davis,
  Weber, Summit, and Washington
  account for 80 of tourism-related spending and
  employment in the state.

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Tourism Dependence of Total Employment in
Tourism-Related Jobs
Percentage
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Tourism in Rural Utah

• Counties with smaller populations, located
  largely in rural Utah, can
  be much more dependent on tourism dollars than
  large metropolitan counties.

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Tourism Dependence of Total Employment in
Tourism-Related Jobs
Percentage
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Land Ownership in Utah--1999
Land Ownership Number of Acres Total
Total Acres 54, 132,902 100.0

Federal Lands 34,599,495 63.9
BLM 22,671,492 41.9
USDA Forest Service 7,210,617 13.3
National Recreation Areas 1,125,497 2.1
National Parks 900,788 1.7
National Wildlife Refuges 62,032 0.1
Wilderness Areas 764,951 1.4
Other Federal Land 1,864,120 3.4
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Utahs Five National Parks
5.3 million recreation visits made
to Utahs five National Parks
in 2000
Canyonlands 7.5
Capital Reef 11.5
Zion 45.6
Bryce Canyon 20.6
Arches 14.7
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Utahs National Monuments and National
Recreation Areas
SITE VISITATION in 2000
Glen Canyon NRA 2,568,000
Flaming Gorge NRA 1,044,000
Grand Staircase-Escalante NM 572,000
Cedar Breaks NM 551,000
Dinosaur NM 397,000
Rainbow Bridge NM 198,000
Timpanogos Cave NM 115,000
Natural Bridges NM 113,000
Golden Spike NHS 45,000
Hovenweep NM 43,000
TOTAL 5,645,000
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Utahs State Parks
STATE PARK 2000 Visitation Estimates
Wasatch Mountain 930,000
Quail Creek 849,000
Snow Canyon 502,000
Utah Lake 406,000
Antelope Island 343,000
Willard Bay 341,000
Bear Lake (3 locations) 289,000
Jordanelle (2 locations) 262,000
Deer Creek 254,000
Dead Horse Point 174,000
TOTAL 6,555,000
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Positive Economic Development, but
Tourism Development
CHANGE!!!
Associated Impacts

• To the local society
• To the economy
• To the environment

Positive Negative
Benefits Costs
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COMMUNITY TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

• Important to weigh benefits and costs.
• What will the benefits and costs
  be for a community?
• Who benefits? Who shares the costs?
• Are the associated costs acceptable?
• Can costs be minimized
  ...while maximizing benefits?

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Institute for Outdoor Recreation and Tourism

• In 1998, Utah State Legislature approved
  Senate Bill 35...
• To provide continuing funding
  to Utah State University...
• To establish and support
  an interdisciplinary program
  of research, extension,
  and teaching...

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Institute for Outdoor Recreation and Tourism

• To provide a better understanding of the
  relationships between
• outdoor recreation and tourism
• natural resources management
• community economic vitality
• quality of life issues
  for the citizens of Utah.

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Mission of the Institute

• The Institute for Outdoor Recreation and Tourism
  (IORT) conducts a program of research, extension,
  and teaching for the benefit of
  the people of Utah, our country, and
  the world, directed at
  improving our understanding of the
  relationships between
  outdoor recreation and tourism,
  natural resources management,
  community economic vitality,
  and quality of life.

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A PROGRAM FRAMEWORK FOR IORT
USU-IORT Functions
Research/Extension Topics
Outdoor Recreation/Tourism Issues
Research Extension Teaching
Community Sustainability
(Social Economic)
Environmental Sustainability
(Environmental Economic)
Statewide Collaboration and Coordination
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Idaho Tourism at a Glance

• According to an economic impact study
  commissioned in 1997
• 1.7 billion in visitor spending
• 24,310 total jobs in travel
  and tourism related industries
• 134.5 million generated in
  local and state tax revenues

Source Dean Runyan Associates, Portland, Oregon
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Idaho Tourism at a Glance

• Idaho's Major Industries
• 1 Manufacturing
• (Electronics and computer equipment)
• (Food processing)
• (Other manufacturing)
• (Lumber and wood processing)
• (Chemicals and allied products)
• 2 Agriculture
• 3 Tourism
• 4 Mining

Idaho
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Idaho Tourism at a Glance

• 63 of Idaho is public land
  managed by the federal
  government.
• 11 National Forests
• 6 Wild Scenic Rivers
• Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness
• Oregon, California, Lewis Clark National Trails
  
• Hells Canyon NRA/Sawtooth NRA
• Snake River Birds of Prey Natural Area
• City of Rocks National Preserve
• Hagerman Fossil Beds NM
• Craters of the Moon NM
• Nez Pierce NHP
• 25 State Parks
• Rich Heritage Resources

Idahos Travel Regions
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Tourism as a Development Industry

• Relies on the development and utilization
  of natural, historical, cultural, and human
  resources in the local environment as
  tourist attractions and destinations.
• Creates recreational uses for natural and
  human-made amenity resources and converts these
  into income producing assets.
• Great interest in tourism development
  to help diversify state, regional,
  urban, and rural economies.

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Rural Tourism Development

• Great interest in rural tourism development
  to help diversify and stabilize rural
  economies.
• Tourism can be part of the economic mix
  in rural communities.
• Maintain tourism at an appropriate scale
  an appropriate part of overall
  economic activity.
• Small businesses are an important ingredient
  account for nearly two-thirds of rural jobs and
  almost all of rural establishments.

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Rural Tourism Development

• Rural small businesses thrive
  in the services sector.
• Account for 89 of rural establishments
  and 64 of rural jobs.
• Fastest growing service industries typically
  dominated by small rural firms include
• accommodations
• social services
• retail
• amusement
• recreation

Source
Small Business in Rural America by Kendall
McDaniel The Main
Street Economist May 2001
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Natural Resource-Based Tourism and
Rural Tourism Development

• Based on a destinations
  natural resources
  
  and amenities
• Rural communities
  have attractive
  natural
  resources
  and
  amenities.
• Opportunities exist for a variety
  of tourism-related
  businesses.

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Idahos Tourism Product

• Natural Resources Cultural Amenities
• Landscape Diversity
• Spectacular Wildlands
• Exceptional Wildlife Resources
• Western Experience and Values
• Native American Heritage
• Pioneer Heritage
• Farming/Ranching Heritage

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Opportunities in
Rural Tourism Development

• Focus on development of compatible, dispersed
  tourist businesses
  that help vitalize the local
  economy.

Destination Tourism versus Windshield Tourism
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Develop a Package
of Activities Experiences

• Todays tourists are willing to pay for quality
  experiences, services and products, but there
  must be enough activities and places to visit.
• Develop a quality package of activities and
  experiences to both attract visitors and convince
  them to make an extended trip.

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For Such Development Efforts, as Natural
Allies

• Outdoor Recreation
• Nature Tourism
• Eco-Tourism
• Agricultural Tourism
• Heritage Tourism

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A Package of
Tourism Experiences

• Steady public interest in the use of our natural
  resources for Outdoor Recreation.
• Fastest growth in Nature Tourism
  and Eco-Tourism activities.
• Increasing interest in experiencing
  the activities of the farm or ranch
  for Agricultural Tourism.
• Growing interest in our significant cultural and
  historic resources for Heritage Tourism.

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Outdoor Recreation

• Remains among the top purposes for leisure travel
  in the United States

Almost 80 of tourists say scenery is one of
their top considerations in selecting a
destination for travel.
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Outdoor Recreation

• Fastest growing recreation activities
• birding/wildlife observation
• walking/hiking/backpacking
• snowmobiling/OHV driving
• bicycling/mountain biking
• snow skiing/snowboarding
• swimming
• canoeing
  kayaking
  
  rafting

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Nature Tourism

• Discretionary travel to natural areas that
  conserves environmental, social, and cultural
  values, while generating an economic benefit to
  the local community.
• Nature tourists spend time and money to
  experience nature and the outdoors, and learn
  more about a particular destination with a
  concern for minimum impact and sustainability.

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Nature Tourism

• Nature Tourism,
  particularly
  birdwatching
  and
  wildlife watching
• 
  
  
  ...is one of the fastest growing sectors
  in the travel and tourism industry.

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Eco-Tourism

• Should promote area conservation
  and resource protection.
• Local involvement and benefit to
  the local community is
  important.
• Appreciation and education are
  the main motives for
  participation.
• Activities should be ecologically
  and socially sensitive.
• Generally is small in scale
  and careful in progress.

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Agricultural Tourism

• The act of visiting a
  working farm or ranch, or any agricultural
  operation or business for the
  purposes of enjoyment, education, and active
  involvement in a variety of activities
  and experiences.

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Heritage Tourism

• Discretionary travel to areas rich in
  significant cultural and heritage resources
  worthy of preservation
• Heritage Tourists spend time and money to
  experience local culture and heritage, and learn
  more about a particular destination.

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Heritage Tourism

• Conserves local social and cultural values, while
  generating an economic benefit for the local
  community.
• Native American wearing traditional
  costume
  at the all Indian powwow.

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Part 1Sustainable Development and Use of
Our
Natural Resources for Recreation and Tourism
The Ideal
and the Reality

• Tourism development can be a part of the
  economic mix in rural areas.
• Rural communities need to develop a quality
  package of activities and experiences for
  visitors
• By focusing development efforts on
  the natural allies of outdoor recreation, nature
  tourism, eco-tourism, agricultural tourism, and
  heritage tourism.