Why Watch Wildlife?
Wildlife-related recreation has become one of the most popular outdoor activities in the U.S. Over the past 20 years, participation in wildlife watching, particularly bird watching, has increased nationally by more than 266% (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation). The travel industry has noted the increased interest in outdoor and experiential travel, and in 2002, the Travel Industry Association of America declared:
- 76% of American travelers want to visit somewhere that they have never been before;
- 48% of these travelers are interested in “remote and untouched” destinations; and
- 57% are attracted by an area’s culture.
Click Here to see ways to make your business appealing to nature-based tourists.
|
Birding and Baseball?
In 2001, 82 million people participated in hunting, fishing and wildlife watching, while in that same year 89 million people attended all major league baseball and professional football games.*
|
Wildlife Watching is Big Business!
According to the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, wildlife watching is the largest economic growth sector in outdoor recreation. Across the U.S., nearly $40 billion was spent on wildlife watching—a figure that has increased by over 40% in the past ten years. These expenses ranged from supplies such as binoculars and bird seed, to hotel rooms and gasoline. In New Jersey alone, 1.64 million residents and 688,000 visitors watched wildlife, and collectively, these two groups spent $1.24 billion on their hobby.
Of the nation’s 66 million wildlife watchers, 45 million of them are bird-watchers. In 2001, these bird watchers spent $32 billion in retail stores, which generated $85 billion in overall economic impact and created over 860,000 jobs (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2001 Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis).
|
Each year wildlife watchers spend over $3.1 billion on food for wildlife, and $733 million on bird houses and feeders.*
|
How YOU can promote conservation through the economy:
1.) Make sure others can easily recognize you as a nature-based tourist.
Be proud to wear your binoculars! When you spend your dollars in a community, be sure to leave behind our Birding and Wildlife Trails Calling Cards each time you buy gas, eat at a restaurant, or stay in a hotel. These cards let people know you are spending money in their community because you are there to view the region’s wildlife. If you are not recognized as a nature-based tourist, you are assumed to be a traditional tourist, which encourages communities to continue developing their wild lands. Calling Cards can be downloaded from this website (in PDF form). Click here for Delaware Bayshore Calling Cards, click here for Meadowlands Calling Cards.
2.) Visit responsible businesses and tell them why you’re there.
Businesses that landscape with native plants, give back to local wild lands or restoration efforts, and provide educational opportunities for the local community should be rewarded with our economic support and praise. Tell them why you are visiting and congratulate them on their efforts.
3.) Don't fall prey to false "eco-marketing."
The size of the ecotourism market is gaining attention, and more businesses want to share in the wealth. Be an educated consumer. Tell tour operators you are paying to see the natural behavior of animals, and you don't want to see captive wildlife or wildlife lured by food. Let businesses know you realize a natural experience means you might not see your target species every time, but not seeing it won’t take away from your enjoyment of your trip. And also, visit businesses that not only show you wildlife, but teach you about it as well.
|
Did you know?
New Jersey ranks 6th among the top ten states in the country for generating economic impact based on wildlife watching.*
|
* U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2001 National and State Economic Impacts of Wildlife Watching