The value of Florida beaches

摘要

Florida has world-class beaches that have great aesthetic, recreational, and economic value. If Florida were a country, it would be the world's leading tourist destination. Florida beaches are its leading tourist attraction with about 810 million day visits annually, more than double the number of day visits that are made annually to all U.S. national parks. Florida beach tourists pay about $3.2 billion, $2.2 billion, and $1.0 billion in taxes to federal, state, and local governments respectively. However, Florida beaches are threatened by erosion problems caused mainly by federal navigation projects and must be periodically renourished with sand. The president's budget has only $16.8 million and $2 million in 2012 and 2013 respectively for Florida beach renourishment, and this is only 0.5% to 0.05% of federal tax revenues from Florida beach tourists. Increased federal funding of Florida beach nourishment is easily justified just by taxes paid to the federal government by international tourists visiting Florida beaches. A reduction of just 1% in the number of Florida's international beach tourists reduces federal tax revenues by about $32 million — about twice the federal government's contribution in 2012 to Florida beach nourishment, and 15 times its 2013 contribution. There is stiff worldwide competition for tourists, who have ample choices. If Florida beaches become run down, some international tourists will choose to vacation at beaches in other countries, causing a loss of U.S. jobs, taxes, and Gross Domestic Product growth. In today's modern world economy, job growth is in service industries with tourism being the leading service industry. Beaches are important to the U.S. economy, recreation, esthetics, and are an American heritage and should not be allowed to disappear, especially since their loss is due mainly to man's activities that interrupt natural processes, primarily navigation projects which themselves generate federal, state and local revenue. This also should be considered as additional justification for use of public funds for beach renourishment.