Page 96 - Clackamas County Watertourism Strategic Plan. Final.v3

STRATEGIC PLAN FOR WATER-BASED TOURISM IN CLACKAMAS COUNTY, OREGON THE MARKET
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Paddlers and Motor Boaters
The market for paddlers and motor boaters are treated much differently than the anglers, mainly because of their smaller market size. The market area for paddlers is 90% within
Oregon and southern half of Washington. Approximately half will stay overnight primarily preferring camping. The market area for motor boaters is primarily within northwestern
Oregon and very few will stay overnight. One of the main objectives of this study is to generate more overnight stays for Clackamas County, however, these two groups are still
highly important for creating an attractive destination for water-based recreation. Creating fun, convenient, relaxing and exciting water-based recreation for the local market is
used in several ways to generate overnight stays for the non-residential market. First, they are a type of litmus test to measure the magnetism of recreational activities. Second,
they are the workhorses behind events, celebration, festivals and competitions. They are the foundation and the implementers of any event, while the non-residents are only
spectators. Non-residents have greater economic impacts at events, however, residents, while spending less, make them possible. Finally, residents serve as a base market
providing a steady, albeit low, stream of economic contributions to the local recreation industry. Attracting local motorized and non-motorized boaters to Clackamas County is
important to generate a buzz around the water, which in-turn, attracts non-locals who want in
on the fun. Therefore, the market analysis of these groups, and the resulting marketing
recommendations, are done with objective of maximizing each groups’ contributions to the “Creating fun, convenient, relaxing and exciting water-
whole tourism market.
based recreation for the local market is used in several
Paddlers and motor boaters are not getting on planes and flying to Orgon to boat. Avid boaters ways to generate overnight stays for the non-residential
will own boats and travel with them to their preferred water. Motor boaters will trail their market….. Attracting local boaters to Clackamas County is
boats less distance than those carrying car top boats. Non-resident paddlers may travel such a important to generate a buzz around the water, which in-
distance that staying overnight is preferable, or because camping is part of the planned turn, attracts non-locals who want in on the fun.”
activities. Motor boaters travel less distance and therefore have less demand for paid
accommodations. These are the reasons that the user survey shows anglers having the highest
overnight stays, followed by paddlers, and then motorboaters.

Paddlers

Paddlers are also referred to as non-motorized boaters. They generally paddle kayaks, canoes, and SUPs (Stand-Up Paddleboards) or they use oars to propel row boats, drift
boats/dories, skulls, and whitewater rafts. For the purposes of this study, paddlers are all non-motorized boaters and everyone else who recreates in the water without a
motor or fishing gear. Therefore, this group also includes surfers, swimmers, free divers, snorkelers, tubers, windsurfers, and the like. Paddlers make up 38% of the U.S.
outdoor consumer population. This amounts to 54.7 million paddlers nationwide, based on 144.4 million Americans who recreated outdoors last year xxiv . In Oregon, the
percentage is between 12% for non-motorized boaters and 53% for beach goers (see Table 4-12). For Oregon, the best available data is broken down by activity. Therefore,
the total paddler participation, equivalent to the national figure, is not known since the data does not aggregate activities and averaging the averages would result in
inaccuracies.