Documentation
by ECORYS for the European Commission's Directorate General for Maritime Affairs & Fisheries
Rotterdam/Brussels, 15 September 2013
Cuttings:
- “..,
low-profile tourism is not a recognised business model, but it is well-known as previous and early forms of nature and eco-tourism, e.g. tourism forms with a low density character,
a low average impact on the environment and an interest in natural areas as destinations. This type of tourism has been developing in the past decade as a result of the environmental movement of the ‘70s and ‘80s, increasingly being “[…] hailed as a panacea: a way to fund conservation and scientific research, protect fragile and pristine ecosystem, benefit rural communities, promote development, enhance ecological and cultural sensitivity […]” (Honey, 1999, p. 4). Examples of this business model are nature camping, scouting and youth camps, small-scale boating and recreational fishing, etc.”
- “Also
nautical tourism segments are growing rapidly, with for instance a worldwide 500,000 additional surfers every year, and a growth of the luxury yacht building segment by some 228% between 1998 and 2008.
A more stable trend is seen in recreational fishing, which appears to be fairly resilient to pressure from the present global economic crises. When the economy weakens people tend to seek nearby and cheap outdoor pleasures
like recreational angling.”
- “
A growing niche of potential development for coastal and maritime destination across the EU are nautical sports, and particularly those (e.g. diving, surfing, or
recreational fishing) which can trigger local employment and economic growth, whilst avoiding excessive negative externalities for local communities and natural resources.”
- “
Recreational fishing covers various segments. In most countries recreational angling (rod and line fishing) is the biggest of these segments measured in numbers of participants and/or economic benefits and jobs. In Europe there are some
8 -10 million recreational sea anglers. The annual socio-economic value is estimated 8-10 billion euros with thousands of jobs depending on anglers’ expenditure. Recreational angling (rod and line) is done for leisure and sport. In some countries angling tourism is a well-developed and growing business segment, while others have an unused potential. For example angling has been reported to show a remarkable resistance against pressure from the present global economic crisis. A weakening economy leads people to seek nearby and cheap outdoor pleasures like recreational angling.”