A Profile of the South Carolina Shrimp Tourist

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A Profile of the South Carolina Shrimp Tourist
What does coastal tourism have to do with the
commercial shrimp industry?

William C. Norman, Laura W. Jodice Sajna Shenoy
Recreation, Travel and Tourism
Institute Department of Parks, Recreation
Tourism Management Clemson, South Carolina
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Outline

• Background
• US South Atlantic shrimp industry problems
• SC Shrimp industry problems
• SC Tourism trends
• Linking coastal tourism and shrimp in South
  Carolina
• Can tourism help the South Carolina shrimp
  industry survive?
• Shrimp and Tourism survey
• Do SC Coastal tourists prefer local, wild-caught
  shrimp?
• Restaurant study
• Are coastal restaurants willing to pay a higher
  price for local, wild-caught shrimp?

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South Carolina Shrimp - Background

• Coastal fishing communities in transition
• Declining fisheries
• Coastal development pressures
• Increasing gentrification
• Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
  Management Act - National Standard 8
• Conservation and management measures shalltake
  into account the importance of fishery resources
  to fishing communities in order to
• provide for the sustained participation of such
  communities
• to the extent practicable, minimize adverse
  economic impacts on such communities.

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SC Shrimp Industry Assistance
South Carolina Shrimp - Background

• 5.6 million
• 2 m (National Marine Fisheries Service)
• 3.6 m (SC share from congressional allocation to
  SE)

Subsidy to shrimpers

• Marketing and quality development
• 538K - Clemson University Extension (PSA)
• 184K - Southern Shrimp Alliance
• 100K - S.C. Seafood Alliance
• 60K - S.C. Shrimpers Association

• Economic analysis
• Food science/packaging
• Tourism
• Marketing Plan
• Processing

• Business/Financial training

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US South Atlantic Shrimp - Problems

• Increased operating costs
• Govt Regs TEDs, BRDs
• Fuel
• Overcapacity (too many boats)?

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US South Atlantic Shrimp - Problems

• Competition with imports?
• EU tariff on shrimp redirection of shrimp to US
  (chloramphenicol and nitrofuran)
• Aquaculture product meets restaurant/chef
  preferences

U.S. Landings and Import of Shrimp
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US South Atlantic Shrimp Problems

• Most valuable US domestic species, but prices
  have declined
• Wholesale price lowest in 40 yrs
• Import prices decreased as much as 28 (2000 to
  2002)
• Value of harvest decreased 50 or 690 million
  (2000 to 2002).

U.S. Shrimp Prices, Ex-vessel, 1998-2003(ytd)
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U.S. Consumption of Shrimp is Rising Steadily
US South Atlantic Shrimp - Problems
Note Fisheries of the United States, National
Marine Fisheries Service. Shrimp, all
preparations. eestimated by FAS staff (Tom
Westcot, 2003, FAS, USDA)
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South Carolina Shrimp - Problems
Can South Carolina shrimp compete in the global
marketplace?
U.S. Shrimp Harvest, by Region in 2001
South Atlantic lt 1 of total available shrimp in
US
South Carolina lt 0.1
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South Carolina Shrimp - Problems
Additional challenges

• 900 vessel permits - 200 active vessels
• Prime coastal real estate OR shrimp heritage?
• Aging dock owners/fishermen (retirement?)
• Individuality of fishermen
• Quality
• Lack of crew
• Reliance on out-of-state processors
• Roadside peddlers
• Many seafood restaurants - few serving local,
  wild-caught shrimp
• Confusing restaurant pricing
• Conflict with recreational shrimp baiting?
• Not enough shrimp to meet local demand

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South Carolina Shrimp - Solutions
U.S. International Trade Commission
(ITC) Antidumping Duty Investigations

• Government/regulatory?
• Import tariffs
• Fleet reduction
• Government subsidies

74 of imported shrimp
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South Carolina Shrimp - Solutions

• Branding Niche marketing?
• Local, wild-caught
• Sweet South Atlantic White
• In season
• Organic
• Sustainable
• Mark of quality
• Business/Financial training?
• Cooperatives?
• Outreach/Education?

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South Carolina Shrimp - Solutions

• Direct Marketing ?
• Restaurant chefs
• Public markets
• Dockside purchase
• Coastal tourist or home use?
• Partnership with coastal tourism industry?

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South Carolina Shrimp - Solutions

• Travel and tourism industry trends in South
  Carolina
• Largest employer and top industry
• 30 income is domestic travelers (2.07 billion)
  at restaurants, grocery stores and other eating
  and drinking establishments
• Eating-place sales up by 5.7 (2002 to 2003)
• 3 of top 5 counties were coastal counties 56
  total combined travel expenditures in SC

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South Carolina Shrimp - Solutions
Partnership?

• What is the potential for marketing locally
  harvested shrimp to coastal visitors?
• Benefit both industries?
• Integration with other tourism initiatives?

COASTAL TOURISM Culinary Heritage/Cultural Ecotou
rism Recreation Agritourism
COMMERCIAL SHRIMP HARVEST
?
SHRIMP TOURISM
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Does shrimp tourism already exist?
South Carolina Shrimp - Solutions
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Could more shrimp ecotourism be developed?
South Carolina Shrimp - Solutions
Commerical boat?
Eco-tour boat?
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South Carolina Shrimp and Tourism Project

• Survey SC coastal visitors re local, wild caught
  shrimp
• Are South Carolina coastal tourist culinary
  tourists?
• What are the attitudes, preferences, and
  behaviors of South Carolina Coastal visitors
  toward local, wild-caught shrimp, when traveling?

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South Carolina Shrimp and Tourism Project
Methodology

• Survey 1 Culinary Tourism Survey
• Conceptual model development
• ID/understand culinary tourist segments

• Survey 2 Shrimp Interest Survey
• Attitudes, preferences, behaviors re shrimp
• Segment coastal culinary visitors (apply model)
• ID potential target markets

VARIABLES
VARIABLES
SHARED VARIABLE Food and travel general
preferences

• Importance of attributes
• Preferences
• Beliefs/expectations
• Shrimp activity on your trip
• Interest in new experiences
• Knowledge about shrimp
• Most recent SC trip
• Demographics

• Food neophilia
• Food variety seeking
• Enduring involvement/food
• Hedonic consumption/food
• Personal values
• Quest for authenticity
• Most recent SC trip
• Demographics

clusters
explain
explain ?
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Anticipated Outcomes
South Carolina Shrimp and Tourism Project

• Better informed industry
• Mutually beneficial partnership with integrated
  strategy
• SC shrimp industry marketing plan
• Outreach Education (SC Shrimp Alliance/Seafood
  Association)

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Related research
South Carolina Shrimp and Tourism Project

• Restaurant Interviews
• Are coastal restaurants willing to purchase
  direct or pay a higher price for local,
  wild-caught shrimp?
• Seafood tourism case studies

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South Carolina Shrimp and Tourism Project
THANK YOU!
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South Carolina Shrimp and Tourism Project
Methodology

• Pilot testing March/April 2004
• Field survey May October, 2004 (during shrimp
  season)
• 6 SC coastal counties
• Systematic selection at 24 visitor sites
• Random times
• Intercept with mail follow-up
• Analysis
• Statistical analysis (Factor analysis, Cluster
  analysis, MANOVA, ANOVA, Chi-square)
• Non-response analysis
• Recommendations Outreach