HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-06-27; City Council; 18626; Beach Preservation CommitteeCITY OF CARLSBAD - AGENDA BILL
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AB#
MTG.
DEPT.
18,626
6/27/06
ENG
TITLE:
CARLSBAD BEACH PRESERVATION COMMITTEE
BEACH ATTENDANCE AND ECONOMIC STUDY
DEPT.^rf/^7
CITY ATTY. ^C
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CITY MGR-H^T
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Accept and file report from Carlsbad Beach Preservation Committee.
ITEM EXPLANATION:
On March 10, 2005, the City Council approved a professional services agreement with Dr. Philip King
to conduct a survey, analyze the spending habits of the visitors, and relate that information to
economic benefits to the City of Carlsbad. The objective of the study is to provide information to the
City Council of the financial benefits derived from summer visitors to the Carlsbad beaches.
The study includes:
• The demographics of beach visitors including residence, income, and ethnicity.
• The total amount of spending by beach visitors both inside and outside the City.
• Total attendance broken down by different types of visitors: local visitors, day trippers, in-state
visitors staying overnight, out-of-state and foreign visitors.
• Average beach spending per visitor, broken down by different types of visitors: local visitors,
day trippers, and overnight visitors.
A survey of beach visitors was conducted randomly throughout the summer of 2005. A questionnaire
was used to determine the primary residence of Carlsbad Beach visitors, the amount spent on beach
visits broken down by type of expenditure, whether the expenditures took place within Carlsbad or
elsewhere, and total attendance broken down by different types of visitors. The survey also
asked how important the beach was in their decision to come to Carlsbad, and at what point visitors
would stop going if the beach was eroded.
The following are highlights from the study:
• The typical visitor spent $66 per person per day, 2/3 ($44) of which is spent in Carlsbad.
Overnight visitors spent far more than day-trippers. Lodging was the largest spending
category at $26 per person per day (averaged over all visitors).
• Beach tourism generates $94,000 in sales tax revenues and $1.4 million in Transient
Occupancy Tax.
• For the State as a whole, beach tourism generates just under $2 million in sales tax revenues
and parking fees.
• 40% of visitors stay overnight; 58% of people staying overnight responded that the beach was
"very important" for their trip/vacation.
• 83% of beach visitors were not City residents, although half lived within 20 miles. 26% came
from outside California.
Page 2 of Agenda Bill No.
• Among amenities, beach cleanliness was rated most important (82% said it was very
important), while 43% said wide beaches were very important, and 55% said parking was
very important.
• If Carlsbad's beaches eroded 50% (were half as wide), beach attendance would drop by 28%.
The Carlsbad Beach Preservation Committee (BPC) is interested in gaining an understanding of the
economic impact provided the City by visitors to our local coastline. The BPC will use this data as it
reviews future beach enhancement projects for our local coastline.
Staff recommends the City Council accept and file this report.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The project is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to section 15306 which exempts information
gathering activities.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None.
EXHIBITS:
1. The Economic and Fiscal Impact of Carlsbad Beaches: A Survey and Estimate of Attendance
dated December 12, 2005.
DEPARTMENT CONTACT: Steve Jantz, (760) 602-2738, sjant@ci.carlsbad.ca.us
The Economic and Fiscal Impact of
Carlsbad's Beaches:
A Survey and Estimate of Attendance
Philip G. King, Ph.D.
Chair, Economics Department, San Francisco State University
December 12,2005
I would like to thank Steve Jantz, members of the Beach Preservation Committee, and
Richard Dennison and Denny Stoufer from California State Parks for help with this
project.
3
Executive Summary
This study was commissioned by the City of Carlsbad to analyze beach tourism. It
presents the results of a comprehensive survey of beach visitors in high season, an
estimate of beach attendance and total spending related to beach tourism in the City
and the region.
• 83% of beach visitors were not City residents, though half lived within 20 miles.
26% came from outside California.
• Among amenities, beach cleanliness was rated most important (82% said it was
very important), while 43% said wide beaches were very important and 55% said
parking was very important.
• Respondents ranked Lifeguard services, Carlsbad Village, and other amenities
lower.
• If Carlsbad's beaches eroded 50% (were half as wide), beach attendance would
drop by 28%.
• 40% of visitors stay overnight; 58% of people staying overnight responded that
the beach was "very important" for their trip/vacation.
• The typical visitor spent $66 per person per day, 2/3 ($44) of which is spent in
Carlsbad. Overnight visitors spent far more than day-trippers. Lodging was the
largest spending category at $26 per person per day (averaged over all visitors).
• Beach tourism generates $94,000 in sales tax revenues and $1.4 million in
Transient Occupancy Tax.
• For the State as a whole, beach tourism generates just under $2 million in sales
tax revenues and parking fees.
• This study also developed a methodology to count people at the beach—just
under 600,000 people attend Carlsbad's beaches in high season.
• Since most of the beach is operated by State Parks, the cost to the City of
Carlsbad is minimal, while the beach generates millions in revenue and income
for Carlsbad's citizens. Maintaining beach width and cleanliness should be a
clear goal for the City, since respondents indicated that narrowing of the beach
would lead to lower attendance and that cleanliness was critical.
• This study provides an estimate of attendance and suggestions for future work.
The most cost effective way to collect data would be to work with State Parks,
which already collects attendance data for approximately 90% of visitors.
• The estimates provided in this report are extremely conservative. This reports
attendance estimate is significantly lower than the official estimates provided by
State Parks. Also, the report only considers the economic impact from people
who are actually on the beach. The existence of the beach also increases property
values (and hence property taxes), employment, and other economic activity.
I. Introduction
This study was commissioned by the City of Carlsbad, specifically the Beach
Preservation Committee, to analyze beach tourism at beaches within the City's limits.
The study will present the results of a comprehensive survey of beach visitors in high
season. It also presents an estimate of beach attendance at these beaches in high season.
The results of the survey and of the attendance estimate will also be used to estimate total
spending related to beach tourism in the City and the region.
Although the beach represents a continuous strip of sand, except for a narrowing between
Cannon Road and Palomar Airport Road, it is, in fact, divided into several beaches with
different jurisdictions. The northern part of the beach, from the Oceanside border to the
Army-Navy Academy is bordered by a largely residential area, though some condos here
are rented in the summer. This part of the beach is less populated though one can still
find several dozen people on the beach in high season, as well as walkers in the morning.
As one moves south from the Army-Navy school to the northernmost lifeguard tower,
near Carlsbad village, the beach population becomes increasingly denser. The southern
part of this reach is, along with Ponto, the most densely populated part of the beach.
Here, a number of commercially rented condos have been built along with a hotel. Public
access is also available along with reasonable parking.
Starting with the northernmost lifeguard tower (#28) near Carlsbad Village Drive, the
beach is run by the California State Parks system and lifeguard towers, run by the State,
are posted periodically down to the lagoon ("warm water"). Beach goers cluster around
access points and parking. From just south of the lagoon to tower #11 the beach
population is sparse and many areas are eroded and have only private access. From tower
#11 down, the population again increases. Many people here are campers camping at
South Carlsbad State park. The population clusters near lifeguard towers, especially #9,
#8, and #6, which also correspond to access points. From tower #4 south, the visitor
population shifts again to locals, who park nearby. The population between tower #2 and
tower #1 is very dense at "Ponto" beach, most likely due to easy parking and a wide
beach. The beach continues into Encinitas with no clear dividing line except for a small
sign.
II. Beach Survey
In order to obtain information on the types of visitors coming to Carlsbad's beaches, their
behavior, and their preferences, I created a survey instrument and presented a
preliminary four page instrument, consisting largely of closed-end questions, to Steven
Jantz, Associate Engineer for Carlsbad. I next met with the Beach Preservation
Committee and a number of City officials as well as officials from California State Parks.
I made a number of modifications to the scope and purpose of the survey based on the
feedback from the visit to Carlsbad. The resulting survey instrument was tested in mid-
June on 40 beach visitors. Subsequently, a small number of changes were made and the
final instrument was used for the survey.
Surveys were conducted in June, July and August, including the July 4th weekend. Every
effort was made to create as representative a sample as possible and respondents were
given no information which might bias the results. Beach visitors were chosen at
random1 and asked to fill out the survey on-site, which yields much higher participation
rates than other survey methodologies. The survey was conducted on weekdays,
weekends, cloudy days and sunny days, in proportion to the number of people on the
beach on those days. The response rate was high—approximately 85% of people asked
to participate agreed to do so. This result is encouraging since non-participation can lead
to survey bias if non-respondents are different from respondents. Complete results of the
survey are presented in Appendix 1 at the end of the report.
On each survey the day, time and location were noted beforehand. To determine
location, the beaches were divided into the following reaches:
• Reach la: From the most northern part of Carlsbad beach (St. Malo) to the south
end of the Army Navy Academy (http ://www. armv-navyacademv.com/).
• Reach Ib: From the south end of the Army Navy academy to the first lifeguard
tower (#28).
• Reach 2: From the first lifeguard tower (#28) to the north end of the Encina
Power Station.
• Reach 3: From the north end of the Encina power station to the north end of
Carlsbad State beach.
• Reach 4: (S. Carlsbad State Beach) From the north end of S. Carlsbad State beach
to the north of Ponto beach (lifeguard tower #4).
• Reach 5a: ("PontoBeach"): Lifeguard Tower #4 to #2.
• Reach 5b: ("PontoBeach"): From lifeguard tower #2 to the sign for the Carlsbad
Encinitas border which is about 20-30 yards south of lifeguard tower #1
• Reach 5c: ("PontoBeach"): From the sign for the Carlsbad/Encintas border
halfway to the first set of staircases.
The survey was conducted from Reach la to 5b. Since 5c is in Encintas, surveys were
not taken, but attendance numbers were estimated. Reach 3 is the longest in terms of
distance, but has far fewer people than other reaches since access is quite limited in most
places. Reach la is also sparsely populated. Reaches Ib and 5b are densely populated on
busy days. Reach 1 does not have lifeguards and is not part of State Parks.
The survey was administered to 562 people, more than sufficient for reasonable
estimates.
The surveyor zig-zagged and chose every n* person to answer the instrument.
(JP
III. Results of the Survey
This section presents the results of each survey question. Briefly, here are the main
results of the survey:
• 83% of beach visitors were not City residents, though half lived within 20 miles.
26% came from outside California.
• 82% came to the beach by car; 17% walked. Half the people who drove had no
difficulty parking and only 9% reported having significant difficulty parking.
• The average stay was just over 3 hours, though there was quite a bit of variation.
• Visitors to Carlsbad's beaches also visit other local beaches, and rate Carlsbad, on
average, slightly better than other beaches.
• Among amenities, beach cleanliness was rated most important (82% said it was
very important), while 43% said wide beaches were very important and 55% said
parking was very important. Lifeguard services, Carlsbad Village, and other
amenities scored lower.
• If Carlsbad's beaches eroded 50% (were half as wide), attendance would drop by
28%.
• 40% of visitors were staying overnight; reaches 1 and 4 were most likely to have
overnight visitors.
• 58% of people staying overnight responded that the beach was "very important"
for their trip/vacation.
• The typical visitor spent $66 per person per day, 2/3 ($44) of which is spent in
Carlsbad. Overnight visitors spent far more than day-trippers. Lodging was the
largest spending category at $26 per person per day (averaged over all visitors).
IV. Attendance Estimate
Attendance was estimated by counting everyone on the beach and in the water for a
particular reach at a particular time. Counts were made on several days in June, July and
August. Using the survey results, it was possible to develop a methodology for
estimating total attendance in a day. On many beaches in California, attendance is
conducted utilizing car counts or lifeguard counts conducted midday, typically about
noon. In fact, Carlsbad State beach uses precisely this methodology.
The survey asked not only how long people stayed, but when they arrived. Thus it was
possible to create a profile of beach attendance throughout the day. As one would expect,
the length of stay was also related to time of arrival, with people arriving earlier tending
to stay somewhat longer, on average. Table 1 below estimates arrivals and departures as
a percentage of peak attendance (100%). Although the peak varies somewhat by day and
weather (specifically if cold winds come in the afternoon), the typical peak is between
two and three o'clock. Keep in mind this peak is consistent with a peak arrival time
around noon, which I observed. "Peak" here refers not to total attendance for the day, but
the maximum attendance at any one time, which is much easier to observe.
Table 1: Peak Attendance on a typical day by time of day
Time
Before 9 am
9-10 am
10-11 am
11 -noon
noon-1pm
1-2pm
2-3pm
3-4 pm
4-5 pm
5-6pm
% of Peak
10%
20%
33%
60%
80%
95%
100%
95%
90%
70%
% of peak who arrived
earlier
0
7.5%
16.5%
27.5%
47.7%
63.7%
70.7%
71.9%
66.7%
81.0%
Est Arrivals as % of
peak
10%
12.5%
16.5%
32.5%
32.3%
31.3%
29.3%
23.1%
23.3%
13.3%
Using the survey data and a model of arrivals and departures, it is also possible to
estimate how the beach count at any particular time relates to the total number of people
on the beach on a given day. Essentially, one multiplies the beach count at a particular
time (e.g., noon-1) by the respective factor in Table 2 (e.g., 2.8). The most reliable
counts should be taken between 11 and 4pm, preferably between 1pm and 3pm. For
example, if one counts 100 people on reach Ib between noon and 1pm, one should
multiply this number by 2.8 to estimate the total number of people on the beach—in this
case 280.
Table 2: Ratio of Total Daily Attendance/Beach Count at a particular Time
Time
Before 9 am 22.4
9-10 am 11.2
10-11am 6.8
11-noon 3.7
noon-1pm 2.8
1-2pm 2.4
2-3pm 2.2
3-4 pm 2.4
4-5 pm 2.5
5-6pm 3.2
Using the methodology described above and the specific beach counts, I estimated an
average attendance on a typical day. While beach attendance did vary depending upon
the day and (most importantly) the weather, my counts included a representative sample
of weekdays, weekends and sunny and cloudy days in the summer. Table 3 below
presents the estimate of total daily attendance. Reaches 1 b (near Carlsbad village) and
5b (Ponto) are the most densely populated, however Reach 4 (S. Carlsbad State Beach)
has the most people, though spread out over a much larger area. On a typical summer
day, 5430 people visit Carlsbad's beaches.
Table 3: Estimated Average Daily Attendance by Reach in High Season
Reach
1a
1b
2
3
4
5a
5b
5c
Total 1a-5b
Est. Avg. Daily
Attendance
250
1000
750
330
2000
100
1000
250
5430
% Total
5%
18%
14%
6%
37%
2%
18%
5%
100%
The high season in summer extends from late May to mid-September, particularly in San
Diego County. A reasonable estimate is 110 days. Multiplying the estimate of daily
attendance by 110 days yields an estimate for high season attendance of 597,300.
V. Economic Impact
Using the spending data and attendance estimate, one can calculate the economic impact
of Carlsbad's beaches for the City and the surrounding region. Table 4 presents the
estimate for total spending by category. Average spending is per person per day as
reported in the survey. Total spending was estimated by multiplying average spending
per day by the number of visitor days. Total spending is just under $40 million.
Table 4: Spending by Category
Category
Gas and Auto
Food from Stores
Beer, Wine, liquor
Sit-down Restaurants
Parking
Sundries
Lodging
Total
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
Avg. Spending
7.79
11.79
4.04
11.49
1.03
3.00
26.94
66.08
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
Total Spending
4,652,967
7,042,167
2,413,092
6,862,977
615,219
1,791,900
16,091,262
39,469,584
Table 5 presents spending just for the City of Carlsbad, by category~$26.5 million.
Table 5: Spending in Carlsbad by Category
Category
Gas and Auto
Food from Stores
Beer, Wine, liquor
Sit-down Restaurants
Parking
Sundries
Lodging
Total
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
Avg. Spending in Carlsbad
3.26
8.03
2.40
7.13
0.67
1.41
21.51
44.41
Total
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
Spending in Carlsbad
1,947,198
4,796,319
1,433,520
4,258,749
400,191
842,193
12,847,923
26,526,093
(O
VI. Fiscal Impact
The beaches are largely maintained by the California State Parks. Reach 1 (not
controlled by State Parks) has no lifeguard services and expenditures on public safety are
minimal. On the other hand, the spending discussed above does generate substantial
revenues—in particular sales tax revenues and Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) revenues.
Using the spending categories above, one can calculate sales taxes to the City of
Carlsbad, which represents 1% of all taxable items.2 Lodging is not subject to sales tax,
but is subject to a Transient Occupancy Tax.
For the City of Carlsbad, beach tourism generates $94,000 in sales tax revenues and $1.4
million in TOTs.3 The data does not allow estimates of increases in property taxes
generated by the beach, but it is abundantly clear that the existence of a healthy beach
increases property values and hence taxes. In the last fiscal year, the City of Carlsbad
generated $28 million in property tax revenues.
For the State of California, beach tourism generates just under $2 million in sales tax
revenues and parking fees.
Table 5: Estimated Taxes Directly Generated by Carlsbad's beaches
Local Sales Tax $ 94,409.24
Transient Occupancy Tax $ 1,284,792
Total Carlsbad Taxes $ 1,379,202
State/Regional Sales Tax $ 1,382,102.92
State Parking $ 615,219.00
Total Direct State Taxes $ 1,997,321.92
VII. Estimating Future Attendance
This study has devoted a considerable amount of effort to estimating beach attendance at
the City's beaches. Given limited resources, there is no perfect way to estimate
attendance, but rather a series of compromises based on available data and budget. This
section will discuss options for future estimates of beach attendance.
2 Most food, parking at State Parks and lodging are not subject to sales tax in California.
3 The sales tax rate for applicable items in Carlsbad is 7.75%; 1% goes to the City. See
http://www.boe.ca.gov/news/sp111500att.htm. TOTs are 10% of lodging. Estimated TOTs for the 2005-
2006 fiscal year are 10.3 million, see City of Carlsbad, 2005-6 Operating Budget Overview.
\\
A. Using Electronic Counters
The City of Encinitas uses laser counters to estimate the number of people arriving and
leaving at various access points. I am currently working with the City of Encinitas to
calibrate these counts more accurately and the results of this study this summer will be
available shortly. Encinitas is unique in that it has a relatively small number of access
points which are sufficiently narrow to use a laser counter. The main exception here is
Moonlight beach, which has a counter at the main stairway. I found that most people
going to Moonlight beach do not go down the stairs and through the counter. However,
there is a fairly stable relationship between those who go through the counter and those
that do not. The counters at the northernmost access points (near Ponto beach) tend to
significantly over count visitors, possibly because surfboards trip the laser beam in
addition to the visitors or possibly due to stair joggers who do not actually go to the
beach. There is also one major access point in Encinitas (just south of Carlsbad) which is
private—these visitors are not counted by laser counters at present.
The City of Carlsbad's beaches are quite different from Encinitas' in terms of access.
While much of Reach 1 and the northern part of Reach 2 also have limited access points
suitable for counters, the rest of Carlsbad's beaches are generally less suitable. Further,
about half of the people observed entering Reach 1 arrived on the beach through private
access points (mostly hotels and condos). Overall, Dr King estimates that only 10-15%
of Carlsbad's beach visitors could be measured through counters. While this would
provide very interesting data, it would probably not be a good use of the City's resources.
However this data would be quite useful for studying attendance patterns, especially if
the City used counters that could tell whether visitors were arriving or leaving.
B. State Parks Counts
State Parks does a good job of counting cars that are parked in beach parking lots, both
official and unofficial. Their counts include some street parking, though not much north
of Carlsbad Village drive. Lifeguards conduct a count around noon each day and use a
methodology to calculate attendance. Visitors who camp are estimated by multiplying
camp site attendance by 5.8 in high season. All the data is entered into official forms
created by State Parks.
However, the methodology for estimating attendance has not been updated for 25-30
years, according to Richard Dennison, who supervises the counting in Carlsbad for State
Parks. The methodology assumes that 1.4 people are in each car, which is lower than
what this study's survey data (and other previous studies at beaches in California)
indicate. The car count is multiplied by 14 (except at one site) to account for turnover
and perhaps cars not counted. The data generated from this study indicates that 14 is to
much too high a factor. According to this study's data, the turnover based on a noon
count is around three. Even doubling this number and increasing the number of people
per car to a more reasonable 2.5 or 3 yields a much lower estimate than that obtained by
State Parks as detailed below. Indeed, the estimate of beach attendance is about half of
State Parks. This is by no means meant to be a criticism of the people at State parks who
work in the north San Diego county region. They have been extremely helpful to me
10
throughout this study.4 Instead, this study indicates that the basic methodology,
developed 30 years ago need to be revisited and recalibrated. State Parks also counts
camping groups and multiplies by a factor of 5.8 per day in high season. This study did
not examine this aspect of their methodology.
Indeed, I believe the city should work more closely with State Parks to estimate
attendance for all the City's beaches. Roughly 75% of attendance already falls under
their jurisdiction.
C. Periodic Beach Counts
The City could also conduct its own beach counts of people on the beach, as I did. One
would not need to count every day, but every attempt should be made to obtain a
representative sample. Counts should be made between 1pm and 3pm, which are peak
times. Counts at other times are possible, but will be less accurate. The total attendance
at a given reach/area can be computed by using Table 2 above.
VIII. Recommendations
This study recommends that the City work with State Parks to accurately estimate
attendance. I believe that the car count methodology is reasonably accurate, but needs to
be calibrated (downward). Since 80% of the people going to the beach arrive by car, a
car count, as conducted by State Parks, would catch most people. One can easily factor
in pedestrian visitors by multiplying by the appropriate factor (the survey indicates 1.25.
One must also account for people who park in areas not counted. (State Parks does
include parking on side streets as well as parking next to the beach.) It is also likely that
Reach 1 is undercounted, though State Parks does include some of the parking in this
area.
The survey indicates that the average group size is 3.1 people, though it did not
specifically ask if all people in one household arrived in the same car. It is likely that
some large groups arrived in two or more cars. On the other hand, since the survey
focused on households, and multiple households may arrive in one car or van (e.g.,
family members who do not live in the same house), 3.1 is probably a reasonable number.
However the use of a factor of 14 to multiply the car count by is too high. The survey
also indicates that between noon and one, a turnover factor of 2.8 should be utilized.
However, this factor does not account for the fact that only 80% arrive by car—one needs
to multiply by 1.25. One also needs to estimate the number of cars not counted by car
counts, which was beyond the scope of this study. If, for example, only 80% of cars are
counted one would multiply by 1.25.
Table 6 compares this study's methodology to the one used by State Parks. For each car,
the methodology multiplies by a factor for people per car, people who do not come by
car, and cars not counted. The survey from this study provides reliable data on the first
two factors, but not the last. Hypothetically, assume that 80% of cars are counted, which
4 In particular, Richard Dennison of State Parks was very helpful.
11
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seems reasonable since the State Parks car counts are fairly comprehensive and include
side streets. One should also remember that some cars containing people not going to the
beach will be counted, so the adjustment factor could be less than one (or close to one).
This methodology also may yield different results are busy days (when most people are
on the beach) than on non-busy days (when they may park near the beach but go
elsewhere).
Table 6: Two Methods using Car Counts to Estimate Attendance
Factor State Parks Our Tentative Suggestion
#Cars 1000 1000
# People per Car 1.4 2.9
People not going by Car 1.25
Cars Not Counted 1.25
Turnover Factor 14 2.8
Total Count Factor incl passengers 19.6 12.7
This study suggests that these factors be calibrated further in conjunction with State
Parks. While there is always a temptation to come up with a large number, an accurate
number, which is credible and backed by a sound methodology, carries more weight.
IX. Conclusion and Limitations of the Study
This study provides an overview of the composition and preferences of beach visitors to
the City of Carlsbad and an estimate of total attendance. It also provides an estimate of
the economic and fiscal impact for the City and State. The executive summary at the
beginning provides a good overview of this study's findings.
The City of Carlsbad clearly benefits substantially from beach tourism. In particular, a
substantial portion of Transient Occupancy Tax revenue is generated by beach tourism
and the wider beach should add to property values.
Visitors clearly indicated that clean wide beaches were a prime concern. The City may
wish to consider cleaning reach one and perhaps cooperating with State Parks to make
sure Ponto is clean. I walked the entire beach many times and did not find it dirty,
though the small amount of money it would cost to hire someone to clean reach 1 would
likely be worth it. The City has clearly benefited from beach nourishment from
SANDAG and it is worthwhile to maintain the beach, since the survey indicated halving
the beach width would cause a 29% drop in attendance.
The estimates provided in this report are extremely conservative. This reports attendance
estimate is significantly lower than the official estimates provided by State Parks. The
previous section explains in some detail the reasons for this discrepancy. The report only
considers the economic impact from people who are actually on the beach. However it is
12
clear from the survey that many people who stay in Carlsbad go because of the beach, but
do not go to the beach every day. It is standard practice to only count spending on days
when people are actually on the beach, though this methodology in some sense
underestimates the true impact of the beach. The existence of the beach also increases
property values (and hence property taxes), employment, and other economic activity.
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References
California Coastal Commission. 1997. California Coastal Access Guide. Berkeley:
University of California Press.
California Board of Equalization, State Sales Tax data, at
http://www.boe.ca.gov/news/spl 11500att.htm.
City of Carlsbad, 2005-6 Operating Budget Overview
King, Philip G. and Potepan, Michael. 1995. The Economic Value of California's
Beaches. San Francisco State University: Public Research Institute.
King, Philip G. 1999. The Fiscal Impact of Beaches in California: San Francisco State
University: Public Research Institute.
King, Philip G. 2001. Overcrowding and the Demand for Public Beaches in California,
Prepared for the Department of Boating and Waterways, April 2001.
King, Philip G. 2002a. Economic Analysis of Beach Spending and the Recreational
Benefits of Beaches in the City ofCarpinteria. Prepared for the City of Carpinteria.
King, Philip G. 2002b. Economic Analysis of Beach Spending and the Recreational
Benefits of Beaches in the City of San Clemente. Prepared for the City of San Clemente.
King, Philip G. and Potepan, Michael. 1995. The Economic Value of California's
Beaches. San Francisco State University: Public Research Institute.
State of California, California Beach Restoration Study, January 2002, available at
http://dbw.ca.Rov/beachreport.htm.
14
Appendix 1: Complete Results of Survey
Question 1: How far away from this beach do you live (your primary residence)?
Location Frequency
In Carlsbad 27.40%
Outside Carlsbad, but within 20 miles 22.90%
Within 60 miles 10.00%
More than 60 miles but in California 13.20%
In the US, but not in California 25.10%
Outside the US 1.40'%
Question 2: Including yourself, how many people from your household are here today?
Average response = 3.3 people
Median response = 3 people
Number of People
1
2
3
4
5-6
7-9
10-12
13 or more
Non response
Frequency
18.7%
19.4%
18.7%
25.6%
12.1%
3.9%
1.2%
0.4%
0.0%
Question 2a: Of these people, how many are under 16?
Average response = 1.3 people
Median response = 1 person
Number of People
0
1
2
3
4
5-6
7-9
10-12
13 or more
Non response
Frequency
34.9%
23.7%
25.4%
9.3%
3.9%
1.2%
0.4%
0.0%
0.2%
1.1%
15
n
Question 3: How many days this year will you go to a beach in Carlsbad?
Average response = 25.5 days
Median response = 9 days
Number of Days
1-3
4-7
8-10
11-14
15-21
21-28
28-50
50-100
more than 1 00
Non response
Frequency
18.9%
20.6%
11.4%
9.4%
7.3%
6.0%
9.4%
8.9%
7.8%
0.2%
Question 4: How did you get to Carlsbad Beach today?
Mode of Transportation Frequency
By car 81.9%
By foot 16.8%
By bicycle 0.4%
By train 0.2%
other 0.7%
Non response 0.0%
Question 4a: If you came by car, how difficult was it to park?
Difficulty in Parking Frequency
Parking was easy 49.5%
Parking was somewhat difficult 26.5%
Parking was very difficult 8.7%
Non response 15.3%
Question 5: What time did you arrive at the beach today?
Arrival Time Frequency
Before 9 am 5.5%
9-10 am 9.0%
10-1 lam 21.2%
11-noon 21.0%
noon-lpm 18.0%
l-2pm 11.1%
2-4pm 9.2%
After 4pm 4.4%
Non response 0.5%
16
Question 6: On a typical day, how many hours do you spend at the beach?
Number of Hours
Less than 1 hour
2-3 hours
3-5 hours
5-8 hours
more than 8 hours
Total
Frequency
17%
36%
38%
8%
1%
100%
Question 7: What was your reason for coming to this beach (check one or two)?
Reason Frequency
To swim 13.8%
So my children could play/swim 30.4%
To surf 8.6%
To hike 0.5%
To hang-out on the beach 45.2%
(other) 1.4%
Non response 0.0%
Other responses: birthday party, bodysurf, bodyboard, camping, kayak, volleyball, read,
run, visit family, and lay in the sun.
Question 8: How many days this year will you go to other beaches in California (outside
Carlsbad)?
Average response =11 days
Median response = 5.5 days
Number of Days
0
1-3
4-7
8-10
11-14
15-21
21-28
28-50
50-100
More than 100
Non response
Frequency
18.7%
26.5%
20.8%
10.5%
4.6%
4.8%
3.6%
3.2%
2.5%
2.5%
2.3%
17
Question 8a: What beach do you go to most often, other than this beach? [See table
below question 9 for response.]
Question 9: Please compare the alternative beach you listed above to Carlsbad's beach.
We would like you to compare your overall satisfaction including services available at
the beach. Please DO NOT consider the time it takes to get to the beach in your rating.
Worse than Carlsbad Same Better than Carlsbad
I—I ••••••••*• I—I •••*••••• I—I ••••••••• I—I ••••••••• I—1 •••••••••• L—! ••••••••• l_l *••••*••• I I ••••••••• I I
0% 25% 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200%
Average rating = 94
Median rating =100
Most Popular Responses
Oceanside
Del Mar
Moonlight
La Jolla
Mission
Newport
Huntington
Torrey Pines
Pacific Beach
Average Rating
82.0
98.8
107.4
100
88.9
98.6
75
88.3
109.1
Question 10: Which of the following services and amenities were most important to you
in your choice to come to Carlsbad.
Question lOa: Carlsbad Village
Importance Frequency
Very Important 18.9%
Somewhat Important 26.3%
Not important 44.8%
Non response 9.8%
Question lOb: Lifeguard Services
Importance
Very Important
Somewhat Important
Not important
Non response
Frequency
34.5%
25.3%
32.2%
7.8%
18
Question lOc: Wide Beaches
Importance Frequency
Very Important
Somewhat Important
Not important
Non response
43.1%
38.4%
11.4%
7.1%
Question lOd: Availability of Hotels/Condos
Question lOe:
Importance
Very Important
Somewhat Important
Not important
Non response
Cleanliness of Beaches
Frequency
16.9%
10.9%
59.8%
12.5%
Importance
Very Important
Somewhat Important
Not important
Non response
Frequency
81.9%
11.2%
2.1%
4.8%
Question lOf: Parking
Importance
Very Important
Somewhat Important
Not important
Non response
Frequency
55.5%
30.4%
8.9%
5.2%
Other responses: bathrooms, food, shower, surf
Question 11: Examining the beach where you are right now, suppose this beach was
HALF as wide as it is now. How would that affect your number of visits to this beach?
Effect Frequency
I would go about the same amount
I would go somewhat (10%) less often
I would go quite a bit (25%) less often
I would go half as much
I would still go, but less than half as much.
I would not go at all
other
Non response
41.5%
9.8%
13.2%
14.2%
11.4%
8.5%
0.4%
1.1%
Other responses: depends on what the city does and how they destroy the beach, I like it
the way it is.
19
Question 12: Examining the beach where you are right now, suppose this beach was
TWICE as wide as it is now. How would that effect your number of visits to this beach?
Effect Frequency
I would go about the same amount 71.7%
I would go somewhat (10%) more often 11.6%
I would go quite a bit (25%) more often. 7.1%
I would go much often (50% or more) 7.5%
other 0.9%
Non response 1.2%
Other responses: would not like it, too long a walk from car, it would mess up the surf,
would like it less, like it the way it is.
Question 13: Please check the most appropriate box (all reaches):
Type of trip Frequency
I'm here on a day trip from my permanent home 54.4%
I'm on a trip/vacation to the area 40.7%
Non response 4.8%
Question 13: Please check the most appropriate box (reach 1):
Type of trip Frequency
I'm here on a day trip from my permanent home 43.5%
I'm on a trip/vacation to the area 50.0%
Non response 6.5%
Question 13: Please check the most appropriate box (reach 2):
Type of trip Frequency
I'm here on a day trip from my permanent home 55.3%
I'm on a trip/vacation to the area 40.2%
Non response 4.5%
Question 13: Please check the most appropriate box (reach 3):
Type of trip Frequency
I'm here on a day trip from my permanent home 56.0%
I'm on a trip/vacation to the area 40.0%
Non response 4.0%
Question 13: Please check the most appropriate box (reach 4):
Type of trip
I'm here on a day trip from my permanent home
I'm on a trip/vacation to the area
Non response
Frequency
60.5%
50.0%
2.6%
20
Question 13: Please check the most appropriate box (reach 5):
Type of trip
I'm here on a day trip from my permanent home
I'm on a trip/vacation to the area
Non response
Frequency
68.2%
27.0%
4.7%
Question 14: Could you estimate how much your spending, per person per day on your
current trip on the following items and the percentage of this spending that occurs in
Carlsbad? If you spent nothing, please put a zero in the box.
Spending Category
Gas & Auto (including rental)
Food from Stores and Take Out
Beer, Wine, and Liquor
Sit-down Restaurants
Parking
Sundries (Sun tan lotion, books, etc)
Lodging
Average
Spending
$7.79
$11.79
$4.04
$11.49
$1.03
$3.00
$26.94
Percent Spent
in Carlsbad
41.8%
68.1%
59.4%
62.1%
65.0%
47.0%
79.8%
Average Spent
in Carlsbad
$3.26
$8.03
$2.40
$7.13
$0.67
$1.41
$21.51
If you are staying overnight in the area - away from your primary residence - please
answer questions 15 to 17. Otherwise skip to question 18. (Results for questions 15 to 17
are from respondents only).
Question 15: How many days do you plan to be away from home on your current trip?
Average response = 7.2 days
Median response = 6 days
Number of Days
2 days (overnight)
3-4 days
5-7 days
8-10 days
11-14 days
14-21 days
More than 2 1 days
Frequency
13.0%
17.2%
41.8%
11.7%
7.9%
2.5%
5.9%
21
Question 16: How many days will you go to the beach on your current trip?
Average response = 5.5 days
Median response = 3.5 days
Number of Days
One day or less
2 days (overnight)
3-4 days
5-7 days
8-10 days
11-14 days
14-21 days
More than 2 1 days
Frequency
12.0%
15.4%
27.4%
29.5%
5.4%
3.7%
2.9%
3.7%
Question 17: Where are you staying? (all reaches)
Staying Frequency
Camping
Hotel
House or Condo
With Friends/Family
Other
12.1%
26.8%
34.6%
26.1%
0.4%
Question 17: Where are you staying? (reach 1)
Staying
Camping
Hotel
House or Condo
With Friends/Family
Other
Frequency
2.0%
31.4%
43.1%
22.5%
1.0%
Question 17: Where are you staying? (reach 2)
Staying Frequency
Camping
Hotel
House or Condo
With Friends/Family
Other
3.1%
32.8%
34.4%
29.7%
0.0%
22
Question 17: Where are you staying? (reach 3)
Staying Frequency
Camping
Hotel
House or Condo
With Friends/Family
Other
0.0%
15.4%
53.8%
30.8%
0.0%
Question 17: Where are you staying? (reach 4)
Staying
Camping
Hotel
House or Condo
With Friends/Family
Other
Frequency
61.7%
10.6%
12.8%
14.9%
0.0%
Question 17: Where are you staying? (reach 5)
Staying Frequency
Camping
Hotel
House or Condo
With Friends/Family
Other
2.1%
29.2%
31.3%
37.5%
0.0%
Question 18: How important is visiting the beach for your trip/vacation?
Importance
Very Important
Somewhat Important
Not important
Non response
Frequency
58.0%
16.7%
2.7%
22.6%
23
Question 19: How old are you?
Age Group Frequency
16-19 5.7%
20-24 9.1%
25-34 17.8%
35-44 31.9%
45-54 23.1%
55-64 7.5%
65 or older 3.9%
Non response 1.1%
Question 20: What is your ethnicity? (Note: you may check more than one box here)
Ethnicity Frequency
White (Caucasian) 82.4%
Hispanic 9.1%
Asian 2.4%
Black (African American) 1.2%
Other 3.6%
Non response 1.4%
Question 21: What is your highest level of Education?
Education Level Frequency
Did not finish high school 0.7%
High school 8.0%
Some college 30.1%
College degree 37.2%
Post graduate degree 22.6%
Non response 1.4%
Question 22: How many people are in your current household (people you live with and
share financial resources)?
Number of People
1
2
3
4
5-6
7-9
10 or more
Non response
Frequency
10.7%
24.6%
16.2%
29.4%
15.3%
1.4%
0.7%
1.8%
24
Question 23: What would you estimate is the current yearly income of your entire
household (before taxes)?
Income Range Frequency
Less than $9,999 1.1%
$10,000-14,999 1.2%
$15-24,999 2.0%
$25-34,999 5.3%
$35,000-49,999 8.9%
$50,000-74,999 17.4%
$75,000-99,999 14.2%
$100,000-149,999 19.9%
$ 150,000 or more 21.9%
Non response 8.0%
25
1
Carlsbad Beach Carlsbad Beach
Preservation CommitteePreservation Committee
June 27, 2006June 27, 2006
The Economic and Fiscal The Economic and Fiscal
Impact of CarlsbadImpact of Carlsbad’’s s
BeachesBeaches
Beach Economic StudyBeach Economic Study
¾¾Evaluating the economic impact of beach Evaluating the economic impact of beach
visitors was the Beach Preservation visitors was the Beach Preservation
CommitteeCommittee’’s #1 Goal for 2005s #1 Goal for 2005
¾¾City Council authorized contract with Dr. City Council authorized contract with Dr.
Phil King Phil King
¾¾Beach survey conducted betweenBeach survey conducted between
May and September 2005May and September 2005
Beach Economic StudyBeach Economic Study
ObjectiveObjective
¾¾Determine the economic significance Determine the economic significance
of beaches to the City of Carlsbadof beaches to the City of Carlsbad
¾¾Estimate beach attendance in high Estimate beach attendance in high
seasonseason
¾¾Estimate spending related to beach Estimate spending related to beach
tourismtourism
¾¾Survey beach visitorsSurvey beach visitors
Beach Economic Study Beach Economic Study
LimitsLimits
¾¾Only the sand area within Only the sand area within
City boundariesCity boundaries
¾¾150 feet wide and 6.5 miles 150 feet wide and 6.5 miles
longlong
¾¾Did not include visitors on Did not include visitors on
seawall, coast walkway, seawall, coast walkway,
hotels, or South Carlsbad hotels, or South Carlsbad
State Beach CampgroundState Beach Campground
Beach Economic StudyBeach Economic Study
¾¾Survey of beach usersSurvey of beach users
¾¾Spending habits Spending habits
¾¾Where theyWhere they’’re fromre from
¾¾Length and location of stayLength and location of stay
¾¾Reason for visitReason for visit
¾¾Mode of transportationMode of transportation
¾¾Opinions regarding beach amenities Opinions regarding beach amenities
(cleanliness, parking, etc.)(cleanliness, parking, etc.)
Beach Economic Study Beach Economic Study
Economic ResultsEconomic Results
¾¾Estimated 600,000 people visited Estimated 600,000 people visited
the beachthe beach
¾¾$26,500,000 total spending in $26,500,000 total spending in
CarlsbadCarlsbad
¾¾Typical visitor spends $44 per Typical visitor spends $44 per
day in Carlsbadday in Carlsbad
¾¾Largest spending category was Largest spending category was
lodging at $22 per personlodging at $22 per person
¾¾Overnight visitors spent far Overnight visitors spent far
more than daymore than day--tripperstrippers
Spending in Carlsbad by Category
Gas and Auto $1,900,000
Store-bought Food $4,800,000
Beer and Wine $1,400,000
Restaurants $4,300,000
Sundries $800,000
Lodging $12,800,000
2
¾¾Estimated tax revenue Estimated tax revenue
to Carlsbad:to Carlsbad:
¾¾$94,409 Local Sales $94,409 Local Sales
TaxTax
¾¾$1,284,792 Transient $1,284,792 Transient
Occupancy TaxOccupancy Tax
Beach Economic Study Beach Economic Study
Economic ResultsEconomic Results
Beach Economic StudyBeach Economic Study
Survey ResultsSurvey Results
¾¾83% were not city residents83% were not city residents
¾¾50% live within 20 miles50% live within 20 miles
¾¾26% came from outside California26% came from outside California
¾¾40% stayed overnight40% stayed overnight
¾¾58% of overnight visitors indicated 58% of overnight visitors indicated
the beach was very important for their the beach was very important for their
triptrip
Beach Economic StudyBeach Economic Study
Survey ResultsSurvey Results
¾¾82% said beach cleanliness was 82% said beach cleanliness was
very importantvery important
¾¾56% said parking was very 56% said parking was very
importantimportant
¾¾43% said wide beaches were 43% said wide beaches were
very importantvery important
¾¾If Carlsbad beaches eroded 50%, If Carlsbad beaches eroded 50%,
beach attendance would drop by beach attendance would drop by
28% causing a decrease of $7 28% causing a decrease of $7
million in spending million in spending
¾¾35% ranked lifeguard services as 35% ranked lifeguard services as
very importantvery important
Importance of Beach Amenities
Parking
Lifeguard
Services
Lodging Availability
Carlsbad
Village
WideBeaches
Beach
Cleanliness
Beach Economic StudyBeach Economic Study
ConclusionsConclusions
¾¾Beaches are an important economic engine Beaches are an important economic engine
for the City of Carlsbadfor the City of Carlsbad
¾¾Maintaining beach width and cleanliness Maintaining beach width and cleanliness
should be a priority in beach managementshould be a priority in beach management
¾¾Attendance data collection should be Attendance data collection should be
continuedcontinued
Beach Preservation CommitteeBeach Preservation Committee
RecommendationRecommendation
¾¾Develop a local beach nourishment project to Develop a local beach nourishment project to
ensure adequate sand levelsensure adequate sand levels
¾¾Lobby State and Federal representatives to provide Lobby State and Federal representatives to provide
adequate funding to improve safety and cleanliness adequate funding to improve safety and cleanliness
of the local beachof the local beach
¾¾Consider enhancements/betterments for the beach Consider enhancements/betterments for the beach
as a City Council Goalas a City Council Goal
The Beach Preservation The Beach Preservation
Committee thanks the City Committee thanks the City
Council for your supportCouncil for your support
The seashore is a rare and The seashore is a rare and
important part of the quality of life important part of the quality of life
in San Diego Countyin San Diego County
Frank Frank AleshireAleshire