Ecotourism in Southwest Florida

FACT: Tourism has become one of the world's largest industries in the last decade.

ALERT: Travel trends are diversifying from traditional sun, sea and sand holidays. Ecotourism has become a major sector, growing 30 percent each year. Nearly all U.S. households enjoyed nature-based experiences on their last vacation.

FACT: Visitors and residents spend $1.7 billion dollars annually on watchable wildlife activities in Florida. A third of that is spent by visitors who come for the express purpose of experiencing local wildlife. Total trickle down exceeds $3.5 billion.

ALERT: Southwest Florida's tourism industry, which now stands at $1.9 billion a

year, is projected to dramatically increase if we protect the natural resources that attract ecotourists here in the first place.

Southwest Florida has received a wake up call. Public land managers have announced that we have six years to save or kill the goose that lays the golden egg. Only by setting aside and replenishing natural lands now will we be able to sustain a local tourist-driven economy that turns on the health and natural

beauty of the region.

Forward thinking residents, park rangers and ecotourism operators have taken up the challenge. But they can't do it alone. Only a community-wide cooperative effort can succeed. To this end, pub-

lic/private partnerships are forming to acquire public lands, restore fragile local ecosystems and sensitize residents and visitors to

wildlife's needs and respectful human behaviors.

"There are few 'pristine' areas left in Florida," says Gary Lytton, Director of the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in

Naples. "We are in a long line of preservationists charged with stewardship of the environment. Even recognizing the precarious condition of Florida's resources, most other states are even more severely impacted."

"For the moment, Southwest Florida's coastal resources are in relatively better condition than other Florida coastlines," he adds. "We are going to lose existing opportunities very soon."

Local Impacts

Today's tourists are traveling the globe seeking authentic, high

quality nature-based experiences. Southwest Florida is competing

with exotic locales from Costa Rica to New Zealand for ecotourists'

discretionary time and funds. Allowing the deterioration of nature-

based assets will undermine both our tourism industry and overall

quality of life.

"If you make a mistake manufacturing a product, you can start over because you are working with renewable resources. [But] When

you're working with non-renewable resources, often there is no going back," reflects Dr. Duane De Freese,Florida Director of Research for Hubbs-

Seaworld Research Institute.

According to DeFreese, the return on investment from first rate natural areas near

population centers can

exceed that of residential and industrial development. "Right now, we're literally throwing away our assets,"

De Freese adds. "We can't afford to make the mistake of allowing a profiteering mentality to reign in an area where we have world class

natural resources. The cost to the communities will be great."

The good news is that in today's economy, communities that manage to sustain world class nature-based assets benefit in every way. There are no downsides.

Nature-oriented neighborhoods command premium prices. Tourism-related jobs,

taxes and purchased services associated with

a sustainable natural area can return hundreds of millions of dollars a year to the local economy.

Paying for Nature

True ecotourism has been defined as

"getting into nature as much as possible in

the least invasive way possible." Such

authentic nature experiences don't come cheap. The best privately guided tours in the

wilds require three to six hours and can cost

$65 or more for the day. Group rates can also

be arranged.

State and county park eco-journeys require a comparable commitment, but fees

are significantly less. Of course, tourists may

also conduct their own self-guided tours at

nominal monetary cost.

Orchids & Egrets owners Roger and Brigitte Dykstra earn a 100 percent positive response on their Everglades post-

tour participant survey. Nine out of 10 guests rate this Collier County ecotour

"better than expected."

"People are looking for an educational experience along with the thrill of seeing animals undisturbed in their native habitat,"

says Roger Dykstra. "We observe four different ecosystems. On occasion we catch what I

call a 'National Geographic' moment. Our thrill is hearing teens whisper to their par-

ents, 'This is better than Disney!"'

Mary "Safari Jane" Tetzlaff, owner of Caribbean Gardens in Naples, recalls Florida

in the pre-Disney era, when people literally

traveled down one coast and up the other in a

giant "U." The advent of Orlando fragmented the flow.

"Recently, though, I have noticed a gradual return to that 'U' pattern because

people want to see Florida's natural beauty,"

says Tetzlaff. "They want a relief from the

hustle bustle of life, to get away, to blend

with the local folks." In response to visitor

interests, biological and zoological staff

members are constantly updating Caribbean

Gardens' wildlife conservation and education programs.

Ron and Brenda Drake, owners of Royal Palm Tours of Fort Myers, predict that by the year 2000, the majority of travel will be driven by such special interests.

Ecotourism now comprises a large part of

their business. Royal Palm Tours seeks out

and packages exclusive Southwest Florida

experiences to which the public doesn't

normally have access. National tour operators, corporate organizations and museums know the Drakes can produce a unique

product.

"There isn't a business here that doesn't

directly or indirectly benefit from nature-

based tourism," says Ron Drake. "People no

longer say, 'l want to go to SouthwestFlorida.' They say, 'l want to go where the

(fill in the blank) are.' Nature is paying to

keep the hotels and restaurants open. Nature

is paying to keep the shops and golf courses

open. We should be making certain that since

wildlife pays, wildlife stays."

Myriad commercial tourism businesses offer a tantalizing taste of Southwest

Florida's great outdoors by boat, bus, buggy,

boardwalk and bike. Some, like Orchids &

Egrets, Calusa Coast Outfitters and Everglades Bicycle Tours, appear to be more environmentally sensitive than others. Educating the public to appreciate the fragility of

nature's presence is a large part of these company's tours.

Nature Pays for Inexperience

"More and more people today are seeking to de-stress by relating to nature's wild

things," says Susan Cerulean, watchable wildlife coordinator for the Florida Game

and Fresh Water Fish Commission. "We don't begin to understand all the ways we

effect animals when we encroach on their

full-time living environment. While we