Several organizations within the U.S. recreational boating industry unveiled recently the Online Boating Economic Impact Tool, the nation’s only web-based means for estimating the economic impact of marinas across the country. An interactive system designed to understand boater spending and provide estimates of the overall economic impact existing and planned marinas can have on a local, regional and national level, the Tool can also be used to estimate the impact of the potential loss of marinas.
The Recreational Marine Research Center (RMRC) developed and maintains the Tool on behalf of the Association of Marina Industries (AMI), Great Lakes Commission (GLC), National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and the United States Coast Guard (USCG). It can be accessed at no charge at www.MarinaEconomics.com.
The Tool was designed to be convenient and easy to use so visitors to the site can immediately obtain information about specific marinas or groupings of marinas (e.g. in a harbor) such as estimates on boater spending and associated economic impact. It can also be used to estimate the economic impact of boat access/launch sites, and all registered powerboats and sailboats in a designated region. What’s more, the Tool estimates local impacts such as jobs, sales, income and the added value associated with the ownership (e.g. craft spending) and use (e.g. trip spending) of different types of recreational boats, to produce a customized report.
Unlike any existing information available, the Tool provides scientifically-derived estimates of the spending, income, and employment impacts of marinas on a local economy. This information, previously untracked, is expected to add value to decisions concerning marina permitting and expansion made by local governments around the country.
By illustrating the economic value of marinas and boating access facilities to communities, the Tool provides economic justification for the need to preserve and promote marina development versus alternative non-water dependent uses.
To access the Online Boating Economic Impact Tool, visit www.MarinaEconomics.com. All information and data is available to the public at no charge. For questions about access and troubleshooting, please contact Yue Cui at the Recreational Marine Research Center at cuiyue@msu.edu.
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