Tourism and Recreation
Coastal tourism and recreation comprise the largest and fastest-growing sector of the U.S. service industry, accounting for 85 percent of all tourism-related revenues. Ninety percent of all tourism spending occurs in coastal states (YOTO, 1998). The recreational boating industry is growing rapidly with an estimated 78 million boaters (MTS Task Force, 1999).
Population shifts and increased tourism has pushed development into fragile dune areas, exacerbating many beach erosion problems. “Soft” solutions such as beach renourishment often produce better and more economical results than seawalls, groins, or other “hard” solutions. As an example, much of Miami Beach had eroded by the mid 1970s. A $52 million beach renourishment project in the late 1970s reopened the area to the public. As a result, the number of people visiting the beach almost tripled in between 1978 and 1983, from 8 million to 21 million. Foreign tourism alone has contributed more than $2 billion annually – 40 times more than the original project cost (Houston, 1995).
Sustainable tourism depends on good water quality, and both the Clean Water Act and the Coastal Zone Management Act have made it a priority to control point and nonpoint sources of pollution. The Coastal Zone Management (CZM) program supports more effective planning and management of tourism impacts in the coastal zone. State CZM programs include planning for tourist facilities, beach nourishment projects, and ensuring public access to the coastline.