Alliance of Communities for Sustainable Fisheries
256 Figueroa Street #1, Monterey, CA 93940
(831) 373-5238
www.alliancefisheries.com
P r e s s
R e l e a s e
Organizational
Contact:
Study and Regional
Contacts Available – Study posted at
http://www.alliancefisheries.com;
click on “Reports”
Study Shows Strong
Linkage Between Fishing Heritage and Tourism Economy
Monterey, Calif, -
February 19, 2008 - A recent study of 143 tourism business
professionals and civic leaders in three California coastal communities
– Morro Bay, Monterey, and Crescent City – has been released. The
study determined the importance to these communities of fishing
heritage, the public’s ability to access working waterfronts, and the
public’s opportunity to buy and consume fresh local seafood. The
study also shows how these features affect the greater tourism economies
of these communities. The survey was conducted by Responsive
Management, a nationally recognized public opinion and attitude survey
research firm, on behalf of the Alliance of Communities for Sustainable
Fisheries (ACSF). It showed exceptionally strong linkage between
the presence of commercial fishing operations, opportunities for
recreational fishing, the viewing of working waterfronts, and the
ability of the public to obtain fresh local seafood, to those
community’s successful and much larger tourism economies.
Study Highlights:
Ø
The
majority of all tourism professionals surveyed, 74%, indicated that
having local, fresh seafood available was of great importance in
attracting business to their community (rated 8 or above on a scale of 0
to 10); 25% rated its importance as moderate (rated 3-7); and only 2%
indicated that having local, fresh seafood available
was
of low importance in attracting business to their community (rated 0-2).
Ø Nearly two-thirds of all tourism professionals surveyed, 63%, indicated that the fishing heritage of their community was of great importance in attracting business to their community (rated 8 or above); 31% rated its importance as moderate (rated 3-7); and only 3% indicated that fishing heritage was of low importance in attracting business to their community (rated 0-2).
