S hellfish mariculture has experienced tremendous growth in the United States over the past decade, but the nascent industry still has much potential to be realized with regard to revenue streams and public awareness. If the shellfish mariculture industry can leverage connections specifically with the food tourism economy, it will be better poised for sustained growth. Food tourism and agritourism provide a suite of benefits to entrepreneurs and the communities they work within, including increased consumer awareness of and demand for locally produced food, preservation of cultural practices, and diversified revenue streams.
A profile of potential shellfish mariculture tourists is in development so that coastal communities can capitalize on the growing interest in food tourism and agritourism. Through a survey of visitors to the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast c oastal regions, tourists' preferences for and barriers to participation in shellfish mariculture experiences are being explored, in addition to other demand indicators (e.g., demographics). Using North Carolina as a case study, workshops are being conducted to compare coastal communities' current shellfish mariculture tourism product supply (identified through community-based asset mapping) with potential shellfish mariculture tourists' demand. This comparison allows us to identify where demand for shellfish mariculture tourism can be met and opportunities for business and tourism resource development. As North Carolina's coastal tourism infrastructure and marketing strategies are similar to that of other Mid-Atlantic and Southeast states, this assessment will generate findings that can be extrapolated to other states in these regions. Ultimately, we will use these data to create recommendations for the shellfish mariculture industry and coastal tourism leaders to support sustainable development of shellfish mariculture tourism in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast coastal regions. These findings will also generate resources to help mariculture tourism entrepreneurs capitalize on the establishment of sustainable business practices and new revenue streams.
Preliminary results from this research will be shared, as well as recent efforts to build the North Carolina Oyster Trail whose mission is to provide oyster tourism experiences that help to sustain and grow North Carolina oyster demand and supply, resulting in economic, environmental, and social benefits to the state's seafood industry and coastal communities.