ECONOMIC-IMPACTS OF GUIDED WHITEWATER RAFTING - A STUDY OF 5 RIVERS

This paper presents estimates of the statewide economic impacts of gui ded whitewater railing on five rivers in six states: the Nantahala (No rth Carolina), Gauley (West Virginia), Kennebec (Maine), Middle Fork o f the Salmon (Idaho), and Chattooga (Georgia-South Carolina). Except f or the Chattooga and Middle Fork, rafting is dependent on upstream dam releases. Guide fees range from about $15 per trip on the Nantahala t o over $1,000 on the Middle Fork. Economic impacts per nonresident 100 0 visitors increase along with length of the railing trip and remotene ss of the river. Total industrial output per 1000 nonresident visitors ranged from $95,000 on the Nantahala to over $2.5 million on the Midd le Fork. However, because of differences in annual visitation levels, total impacts were greatest at the Nantahala, at over $14 million in 1 993. Multipliers for all economic measures were relatively consistent over the rivers. Employment multipliers (Type III) ranged from 1.67 to 1.90, income multipliers from 2.0 to 2.4, and industrial output multi pliers from 2.1 to 2.5.