Assessing the Economic Impact of Outdoor Recreation Travel to the Texas Gulf Coast

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to estimate the economic impacts of outdoor recreation activity (specifically, sport fishing, hunting, picnicking, swimming, camping, pleasure boating and sightseeing) on the economies of the Texas Gulf Coast region and the state of Texas in the form of output, employment, income, and state and local tax revenues. The statewide Texas Gulf Coast economic impacts were estimated using the statewide expenditure data for the entire Texas Gulf Coast collected for this study and the 1986 Texas Input-Output Model developed for this study. The results of this analysis indicated that the total output impact during 1986 amounted to $1.19 billion for the Texas Gulf Coast and $1.91 billion for the state. The results also show that 59% of these impacts resulted from fishing-related travel to this area.