40,626 research outputs found
ISER Working Paper 2009.1
In this report we calculate the economic importance of nature-based tourism in Southeast Alaska
as measured by business revenue. Our estimates are based on field research conducted during
2005, 2006 and 2007. We define nature-based tourism as those tourism activities for which the
natural environment is a significant input.1
Our key findings include the following:
• Nature-based tourism generates about 140 per visitor in Juneau to more than $2,600 per visitor on Prince
of Wales Island. These differences reflect the range of activities offered -- from half-day
excursions to multiple, overnight all-inclusive lodge stays.
• Nature-based tourism expenditures create a significant economic ripple effect that keeps
money circulating through the economy. This money supports jobs in marketing, support
services, food and beverages, accommodations, fuel sales, government, and other sectors.
• Communities are clearly striving to differentiate themselves and capitalize on local
amenities such as the Stikine River, Anan Creek, the LeConte Glacier, Tracy Arm,
Glacier Bay, Pack Creek and exceptional fishing and scenic opportunities.
• A large and growing portion of Southeast Alaska’s visitors are cruise ship passengers.
Both cruise passengers and independent travelers are similarly interested in nature-based
tourism services. The majority of cruise ship shore excursions offer nature-based
activities, from hikes and glacier viewing to flightseeing and forest canopy zip lines.
• Communities hosting large numbers of cruise passengers are actively developing new
and creative tourism products such as forest canopy zip lines and mountain biking while
those with fewer visitors tend to be focused on sport fishing. This appears to be the case
even if local amenities exist to support a broader range of business and visitor activities.
Thus, there appear to be unrealized opportunities in some communities, but these may
also reflect an inadequate visitor base upon which to risk additional investment.
• There is a complex and competitive system for pre-booking cruise ship shore excursions.
Businesses with exclusive cruise line contracts make price and tour information available
only to cruise passengers and often agree to sell tours only through the cruise line.• The tourism businesses in cruise ports of call that appear to be most successful either
have a cruise ship shore excursion contract or are catering to overnight (non-cruise)
guests with high-quality and high-value services. Examples of these types of businesses
include sport fishing lodges and multi-day yacht cruises.
• It is difficult to compete with established businesses holding existing cruise line
contracts. Despite this hurdle, a number of companies are offering creative new products
including zip lines through the forest canopy, glass-bottomed boats, and an amphibious
“duck” tour.
• Some operators attribute the increased interest in adventure activities to a change in
cruise ship clientele. In recent years, cruise companies have been catering to a younger
crowd, targeting families. In any event, increasing numbers of passengers are interested
in more active pursuits.
• Competition for cruise passengers exists both within and between communities, as people
are booking their shore excursions in advance and look at all the options. Sitka
companies mentioned they were carefully tracking zip line activity in Juneau and
Ketchikan, dogsled tours on the Mendenhall Glacier, and other activities to see which
market niche they could capture.
• There is some evidence that visitors are willing to pay premium prices for higher quality
experiences in more pristine environments. However, it is not clear what specific
attributes (seclusion, fishing experience, food, services, perceived exclusivity, and
environmental amenities) are the key components of this higher market value.
• It is possible to design a community-based tourism program that provides employment to
local residents as is occurring in Hoonah. However, Elfin Cove appears to bring in more
in gross revenues than Hoonah with about one-eighth as many visitors because Hoonah’s
operation relies on volume while Elfin Cove businesses rely on higher-priced fishing
lodge experiences. Day trips seem to be relatively higher cost, lower profit operations.
• Independent travelers appear to try to avoid crowds and many are repeat visitors. Most
tend to stay longer and have more open itineraries than those on cruise ships or organized
tours. These characteristics make independent travelers more difficult to contact.
• Independent travelers also appear to seek communities with fewer visitors and those that
they perceive to be more “authentic,” such as Petersburg, Wrangell, and communities on
Chichagof Islands. A lack of transportation capacity, whether on scheduled jets or on
ferries, may be limiting the opportunities for these smaller communities. Less marketing
may also be a factor limiting visits by independent travelers.
• The primary marketing mechanisms for smaller, non-cruise related businesses are the
internet and word of mouth. In addition, many customers return to the same fishing
lodge, yacht tour, or charter business year after year.
• Wildlife viewing is highly attractive to visitors due to spectacular scenery and abundant
wildlife including whales and other marine mammals. Companies in several communities
expressed a desire to move toward more wildlife viewing and sightseeing and away from
sport fishing. These operators preferred wildlife viewing as it was less stressful due to less pressure to catch fish. Some operators were making this shift, while others thought
they would not be able to match the revenue generated by sport fishing.
• Weather has a significant impact on business for companies whose tours are not prebooked
on cruise ships. Operators noted a marked difference between the sunny, dry
summer of 2004 and the remarkably wet summer of 2006. Visitors walking off a ship in
the rain were much less likely to go on marine tours or hikes in soggy conditions, and
seasonal revenues were down. Businesses with cruise contracts did not experience this
setback as passengers are not reimbursed for pre-sold tours when weather conditions are
poor. The one exception was flightseeing, where companies had to cancel tours due to
unsafe weather conditions.
• Promoting wildlife watching is an important marketing strategy for Southeast Alaska
communities. Visitors bureaus currently produce pamphlets with charismatic large
animals, such as whales and bears. Bureau staff cited studies showing the desire to see
wildlife was attracting a large portion of out-of-state visitors.
• A significant policy question emerging from this research is how the public lands might
be managed to increase the economic returns from tourism to residents of Southeast
Alaska communities, especially the smaller communities that can only accommodate
smaller numbers of visitors at one time. Bear viewing is one example of a high-value
activity that depends on controlled access to specific infrastructure.Alaska Conservation Foundation.
University of Alaska Foundation.
The Wilderness Society.Executive Summary / Introduction / Methods / Ketchikan / Juneau / Sitka / Norther Southeast Alaska Yachts / Chichagof Island / Prince of Wales Island / Petersburg / Wrangell / Conclusion
Wilderness on the Page
This essay explores the role that literature can play in a rethinking of Western culture\u27s relationship with the natural environment
Recreation, tourism and nature in a changing world : proceedings of the fifth international conference on monitoring and management of visitor flows in recreational and protected areas : Wageningen, the Netherlands, May 30-June 3, 2010
Proceedings of the fifth international conference on monitoring and management of visitor flows in recreational and protected areas : Wageningen, the Netherlands, May 30-June 3, 201
One thousand good things in Nature: aspects of nearby Nature associated with improved connection to Nature
As our interactions with nature occur increasingly within urban landscapes, there is a need to consider how ‘mundane nature’ can be valued as a route for people to connect to nature. The content of a three good things in nature intervention, written by 65 participants each day for five days is analysed. Content analysis produced themes related to sensations, temporal change, active wildlife, beauty, weather, colour, good feelings and specific aspects of nature. The themes describe the everyday good things in nature, providing direction for those seeking to frame engaging conservation messages, plan urban spaces and connect people with nearby nature
Yahweh's Consciousness: Isaiah 40-48 and Ancient Judean Historical Thought
This essay works toward three goals. First, it lays some groundwork for researching prophetic literature as a source for ancient Judean historical thought. Prophetic literature reveals a great deal about how ancient Judeans thought about and with their past, as it was represented in their literary repertoire. Second, it examines Isaiah 40-48, to see how this sort of second-order thinking about the past is on display in a particular passage of text. And third, it draws some preliminary conclusions about historical thought in this text and how it relates to historical thinking evident in other Judean literature
Green Care: a Conceptual Framework. A Report of the Working Group on the Health Benefits of Green Care
‘Green Care’ is a range of activities that promotes physical and mental health and well-being through contact with nature. It utilises farms, gardens and other outdoor spaces as a therapeutic intervention for vulnerable adults and children. Green care includes care farming, therapeutic horticulture, animal assisted therapy and other nature-based approaches. These are now the subject of investigation by researchers from many different countries across the world
Signifier of Kiwi Identity
Contested myths of origin surround one of New Zealand’s best-loved cultural icons, or ‘kiwiana’: a pull-along children’s toy called the Buzzy Bee. This paper clarifies those domains by presenting new information gleaned from Betty Schlesinger, widow of the bee’s inventor. Clarification is important because the Buzzy Bee is, as kiwiana, a material item strongly associated with Kiwi identity. As a Māori word, ‘Kiwi’ is a common, often self-ascribed, term identifying people from Aotearoa New Zealand. In clarifying the Buzzy Bee’s history, this paper adds new information to the knowledge base of what it means to be Kiwi. That knowledge base is enhanced, because this paper notes that the Buzzy Bee was invented and first manufactured here in New Zealand by Betty Schlesinger’s husband Maurice Schlesinger. Betty Schlesinger’s account contrasts more popular and well-known origin myths that have served to cloud the Bee’s definitive history. In clarifying the Buzzy Bee’s genesis using Betty Schlesinger’s narrative, this paper also emphasises the important link between identity, materiality and national identity
- …