April 13 , 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tina Haisman, ASBPA Media Relations, 239-292-2882 or media@asbpa.org
The Beachonomics Quiz
Spring is in the air, when Americans start thinking about summer vacations. Many of them plan to visit one of America’s beautiful beaches and, when they do, they’ll be contributing to the U.S. economy by spending their tourism dollars there. Take the ASBPA “Beachonomics Quiz” to see how much you know about the economic value of beaches.
FORT MYERS, FL – Travel and tourism is America’s largest industry and employer, ; and beaches are America’s leading tourist destination for both domestic and international visitors. Few Americans realize that beaches are a key driver of America’s economy and support U.S. competitiveness in a world economy. Take our quiz to find out how much you know about America’s coastal economy.
- How much money does the tourism and travel industry contribute to America’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)?
- $1.4 billion
- $2.5 billion
- $500 billion
- $1.4 trillion
Answer: D. According to The economic value of beaches – A 2008 update by James R. Houston of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, the travel and tourism industry contributes $1.4 trillion to America’s GDP. This accounts for 10.2 percent of U.S. output and makes travel and tourism the largest contributor to GDP, just ahead of durable goods manufacturing and retail trade.
- How much annual tax revenue does the tourism and travel industry bring in for all levels of government in the United States?
- $104.9 million
- $104.9 billion
- $10.4 million
- $10.4 billion
Answer: B. The tourism and travel industry produces $104.9 billion in annual tax revenue for all levels of government in the United States.
- What percentage of Americans live within 50 miles of a coast?
- 50
- 45
- 60
- 25
Answer: A. More than 50 percent of Americans live within 50 miles of a coast. According to the National Ocean Economics Program, in 2007 more than 245.5 million people lived in the 30 coastal and Great Lakes states. Those states employed more than 107.5 million people and contributed $11.4 trillion to the national GDP.
- True or false: Beaches offer an excellent return on investment to America’s economy.
Answer: True. Every federal dollar spent on beaches brings in more than $300. According to Houston, b each tourism from two of the nation’s largest tourism states, Florida and California, contributed more than $125 billion to the national economy in 2007 . Florida accounted for $52 billion and California $73 billion. Beaches attract twice as many visitors as all our national parks combined, yet they receive a fraction of the federal funding spent annually on those parks.
- What percentage of U.S. growth between 1997 and 2007 was in coastal states?
- One-quarter
- Half
- Three-quarters
- None of the above
Answer: C. According to the National Ocean Economics Program, more than three-quarters of the U.S growth between 1997 and 2007 occurred in coastal states, whether measured by population, employment or GDP.
For more information about beach economics, visit
www.asbpa.org.
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ABOUT ASBPA: Founded in 1926, the ASBPA promotes the integration of science, policies and actions that maintain, protect and enhance the coasts of America. For more information on ASBPA, go to www.asbpa.org, facebook or www.twitter.com/asbpa.
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