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Why Watch Wildlife?
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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).
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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 will be available for download
from this website or by calling 609-861-0700, ext. 22.
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
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