Objectives
Identify the demographic and psychographic profile of the charter fishing customer in order to better understand the market. Quantify the economic impact of the Charter segment to the fishing industry and the area. Identify customer attitudes and intent regarding charter fishing on Alabama’s Gulf Coast.
Methodology
A survey of charter fishing customers will be conducted to provide needed data to meet the above objectives. The project will consist of the following elements: Database development, Survey development, online survey implementation and Data/respondent analysis.
Rationale
Major changes in both fishing regulations and in U.S. demographics and travel patterns are proving challenging for Orange Beach fishing fleet. This multi-million dollar industry not only represents an important economic sector, but is also a vital link to the area’s cultural identity. The combination of circumstances creating today’s economic and regulatory conditions is threatening the industry’s future and the livelihoods of those it employs and supports.
Having a baseline of demographic and psychographic data on the current charter fishing customer will provide a crucial step in the ensuring the economic sustainability of this sector of the recreational fishing industry. Identifying customer characteristics and attitudes will assist in reaching more customers and expanding the market. Additionally, an estimation of the economic impact of this sector would prove extremely valuable in quantifying its overall contribution to the region and the state.