4) TO ESTABLISH THE ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF DIFFERENT TOURIST USES
Through the gathering of all this information, it will be possible to to ascertain which tourist uses, in effect which tourism, contribute significantly to the economy of Santa Cruz. These actual results will then be compared to the expected results, assumed before the field trip.
TIME PLAN
A time plan has been constructed (see figure 4) as careful organization of time and scheduling is crucial to field work, although due to the nature of carrying out a field study abroad, the timetable is subject to change.
EXPECTED RESULTS
Due to the nature of field work, no definite results can be planned. However, several liberal expectations can be stated :
**The tourist centre of Santa Cruz is famed for its Boardwalk. It is therfore expected that this is the area most likely to bring the most tourist revenue into the economy. It is expected that this is where most of the big hotel chains will be located, the larger shops and restaurants and therefore the more wealthy tourist. The very nature of the Boardwalk, with its casinos and amusements is to spend money. This area based on consumerism will possibly have a larger impact on the economy than say, the surfing area.
**Santa Cruz is where surfing was first introduced into the United States. It has obviously been important to the area over the years and been a popular destination for surfers, but due to the whole ethos of the sport and its surfbum image, its impact on the economy will not be as great as the other tourist uses. The common image of surfing is one of low budget travellers moving from place to place, staying in shacks on the beach and other low budget accomodation, spending their money on surfing-related items, not injecting a great deal of money into the local economy.
**The cultural, historical and nature interests in the region may prove to attract a substantial amount of tourism to Santa Cruz, in conjunction with the other amenities provided. However, often many of these facilities such as museums, National Parks and lagoons are free to visit, hence bringing in limited earnings.
**The nature of the sport and leisure attractions in the area such as tennis and golf also require relatively little spending, thus not providing a substantial revenue to the economy.
These are merely examples of the range of expected results obtained in the field, assuming that,
-such distinctions can be made between different patterns of tourist land use;
-the economic impact of the different tourist uses is determined;
-these results will reveal that varying tourist uses have varying economic impacts on the area.
As it is not possible to establish definite results until field work is carried out, it must be remembered that these are provisional results and are useful only in comparison with the actual results.
LIMITATIONS
**Field work is largely unpredictable in general and therefore it is impossible to know the exact outcome of results until arrival in the field. Access to information sources, such as libraries cannot be wholly presumed. In addition the method of collecting data will not be completely random as the questionnaires are specifically aimed at certain types of people.
**Tourist analysis is a complex and problematic topic. It is integrated into many other parts of the economy and is therefore not always clearly distinguishable. It is often hard to make distinctions between tourism and non-tourism employees and not all apparent tourist services cater exclusively for tourists. In addition, the industry's seasonality causes limitations to studies.
**The establishment of the case study area and the assumed pattern of tourist uses was based upon information from a map of the area and a travel brochure. However, on arrival in the field an alternative pattern may be revealed.
**Santa Cruz is home to one of the University of California's Campuses. The large numbers of students in the city therefore pose as additional problems in this study of tourism. Definitions of tourism somtimes include students as tourists, some not. Are they, on the other hand, temporary residents ? Assuming that they use many of the tourist facilities, they are contributing to the tourism's economic impact in the area. Some of these issues will be raised in the field.
CONCLUSION
Despite these minor limitations inherent to most field work, the study will hopefully enable us to draw some conclusions about tourism on the Santa Cruz Riviera, including some comparisons between the expected and actual results.
FIELD TRIP REPORT
INTRODUCTION
The focus of this field trip project is an investigation into tourism on the Santa Cruz Riviera. Prior to this field trip, a series of aims and plans were established and assumptions made about carrying out a project of this type. Briefly, the aims were:
1) To designate an important area of tourist use in Santa Cruz;
2) To establish the geographical make-up and different tourist land uses in this area;
3) To investigate the economic impact of these tourist uses on Santa Cruz; and
4) To establish the economic significance of different tourist uses.
A suitable methodology was thought out and time plan proposed and expected results were suggested.
However, due to the unpredictable nature of field work in general, a number of alterations were made on arrival in Santa Cruz. Firstly, the immense size of the proposed case study area from the Lighthouse to Soquel Point made it impractical to carry out such a study along this coastal stretch. Secondly, on the first day it was revealed that there were no distinct uses of land. The five categories originally ascertained were not evident, for example, the surfers appeared to use the sea but not the land around it for their accommodation, shops, etc. In addition, there appeared to be large residential areas along the coastal stretch which was unexpected. It was clearly evident that there was one area of extreme importance to tourism, which was previously expected, and that is the Beach Area. These new factors made it necessary to redefine the case study area and the project aims:
*The new case study area was redefined as the Beach Area - which includes the Municipal Wharf, beach and Boardwalk (see fig. 3 and plates 1-5).
*An investigation was to be carried out into tourism in the Beach Area, determining it's nature and economic impact.
METHODOLOGY
Land Use Map
Walking along the coastal road between the Lighthouse and the end of the Boardwalk at the San Lorenzo River (including the Municipal Wharf), the land use was plotted. Categories such as residential, hotel/accommodation, restaurants, shops, beach etc. were chosen, and a land use map constructed once out of the field.
Questionnaires (see appendices 1 & 2)
Fifty questionnaires were asked to visitors, on the Beach and Boardwalk, and forty-six to residents in every shop, restaurant and hotel along the Wharf and Beach Street.
Interview
An interview was carried out with the Director of Public Relations of the Seaside Company, which owns the Boardwalk and various other properties in the Santa Cruz area.
Library and Visitors Centre
The local city library, the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC) library and the Santa Cruz Visitors Centre were visited several times to research any documents and information on tourism in the area.
Participant Observation
Joining in and playing the part of tourists was important in this study to get an insight into tourism in Santa Cruz, together with taking photos to visually illustrate the landscape which tourism creates. In addition, price comparisons were searched for, for example looking for any differences in prices of various items in the Beach Area and downtown Santa Cruz.
On return, collating the information together and organizing it in a suitable way was necessary so as to conclude the study.
INTRODUCTION TO TOURISM IN SANTA CRUZ AND THE BEACH AREA
Santa Cruz-by-the-sea, as it was known (Olin, 1967, p. 2) has enjoyed a well-established tourist industry since the 1860's. Initially, the growth of the railroad shaped tourist development in the area, when small resorts began to attract visitors throughout the state. Bath houses, hotels and private boarding houses with tennis courts and billiards rooms were built and in the late nineteenth century, Santa Cruz began to receive growing publicity as a seaside resort, with an extensive article in Harpers Weekly in 1894 (Olin, 1967, p. 8).
Tourism grew in the 1900's due to the advent of the automobile, better roads, more leisure time and more affluent Americans. In the early 1900's, Fred W. Swanton formed the Santa Cruz Beach Company and gained the right to construct new tourist developments. He saw the building of a pier and Wharf, casino and swimming facilities; using Santa Cruz's natural scenic attractions, favourable climate, facilities and transport to promote tourism in the area.
World War Two affected Santa Cruz's tourism gravely, when it became outdated and could not compete with California's purpose-built resorts and theme parks. In the post-war years, the tourist trade was encouraged, with the construction of new accommodations and facilities. The Dream Inn (plate 6) was built in 1963, on the site of the old Sea Beach Hotel, which was Santa Cruz's primary tourist centre in it's day.
In the past few decades, plans and new improvements have been made to promote the development of tourism, with the enhancement of hotels, restaurants, shops and other tourist services. Today most planning is more `image' and `community' conscious, attempting to create a sense of place, a memorable image and recreate Santa Cruz's charm of the past and image of a small coastal town (Development Concern et al., 1986, p. 12).
"The Beach Area is the cornerstone of the tourist economy in Santa Cruz County." (Development Concern et al., 1986, p. 1)
The Beach Area incorporates the Boardwalk (including the Cocoanut Grove), the beach and the Municipal Wharf and is evidently the focal point for tourism in Santa Cruz, the area around which tourism grew up here. It's skyline is dominated by seaside buildings and Boardwalk rides and the Wharf extends right out into the Bay. This is an area on which most tourism surveys are carried out and this area is the focus of this study.
RESULTS
Land Use Map (see fig. 4a)
Suitable categories were chosen for the map so as to portray the proportion of buildings along the coast that were residential, visitor accommodation, restaurants, shops, entertainment, etc. Although not drawn to scale, the map does offer an important insight into the land use along this coastal stretch. It can be seen that along West Cliff Drive, between the Lighthouse in the south and Bay Street in the north, the land is predominantly occupied by houses, with an area of State Park and a couple of hotels. From Bay Street along Beach Street right to the end of the Boardwalk, there are predominantly tourist services - restaurants, diners, shops, hotels and entertainment services, with only a few residences, in the form of apartment blocks. It can be seen that the Municipal Wharf is essentially a tourist service provider (other than being a fishing spot), with numerous diners, shops and rental outlets, such as parasailing. This map reiterates what was previously mentioned, that there are no distinct patterns of land use by surfers, naturists etc. and justifies the narrowing of the case study area to the Beach Area.
On the whole therefore, this map is useful for illustrating that the Beach Area is the area that provides the majority of facilities and services for the tourist and is hence the area most likely to benefit economically from any visitors to Santa Cruz.
Questionnaires
*Visitor Questionnaire Summary
Out of fifty questionnaires asked to people visiting the beach and Boardwalk, 28 were to females and 22 to males; the ages range from 13 years to 72 years, the average age being 29.3 years; 44 were American, 3 were British and 3 were Mexican. Of the Americans however, 24 came from the Santa Cruz County (half lived in Santa Cruz city itself), a further 17 came from elsewhere in California (such as Santa Clara, Sacramento and San Francisco), and only 3 came from out of state.
When asked where they were staying, 12 replied in a hotel, 8 with friends, 12 lived in Santa Cruz and the remaining 18 were on a day trip and were not spending the night. For the visitors who were spending the night, accommodation varied in prices per night, from $350 for a double at the Chaminade, $100-150 for a single at the Dream Inn to $70 at the Travelodge and $11 at the Mission Inn. Of the 38 who were visiting and did not live in Santa Cruz, over half were visiting for just one day, 8 for 2 days, 3 for 3 days, 1 for 4 days, 4 for a week and only 2 for a fortnight. The longer the stay, it seemed, the fewer the people. Average spending was $41.50 per day, exclusive of accommodation if spending the night. The highest was $150, the lowest nothing. When asked what people appreciate and enjoy about the area, answers were generally,
"Beach; Boardwalk; ocean; weather; atmosphere; volleyball; not too busy; amusements; lots to do; the people; and the scenery."
It is therefore possible to make assumptions about visitors to Santa Cruz. The majority are from Santa Cruz itself, the neighbouring counties and a few from the rest of California (mainly Northern California), with very few from out of state. Visitors are mostly day trippers or overnight visitors, staying in a range of accommodation from cheap motels to the more plush hotels. The average tourist seems to spend between $20-$50, on food, amusements and souvenirs, and more on accommodation if spending the night. The aspects that appeal to the visitor are the beach and ocean, the Boardwalk, the climate, atmosphere and people, those features predominantly found in the Beach Area.
*Resident Questionnaire Summary
Questionnaires were asked in all 46 establishments along the Wharf and Beach Street, in hotels, shops, rental outlets, restaurants and entertainment services, excluding the Boardwalk and Cocoanut Grove as this is covered by the Seaside Company (see next section below).
Out of the 46, 26 males were asked and 20 females, in 4 hotels, 20 retail and rental outlets, 18 restaurants, 3 mixed restaurants and shops and 1 entertainment service (The Surf Bowl). Employment therefore ranged from sales assistants, waiters and part-time employees earning approximately $5-$11 per hour, to managers and owners earning between $30 and $50 per year. To ascertain any seasonality in the industry, when asked how many people were employed and how many customers they serve in and out of season, there were various different responses. For example, Andy's Bait & Tackle in an ideal location on the end of the Wharf is owner-managed and employs 2 people throughout the year, and serves an estimate of 500 customers per day in high season and 100 in low season. Stagnaro's Fish Market on the Wharf is joined to Stagnaro's Seafood Restaurant and Stagnaro Bay Cruises and Fishing Trips. The Stagnaro Brothers have been very influential during the twentieth century development of Santa Cruz. The fish market employs approximately 15 people in high season and 10 in low, and they estimate at serving 1,100 customers per day in high season and 675 in low season. Out of the 46 questionnaires asked, none would reveal the turnover of their establishment or the amount of rent they pay.
When asked if tourism is beneficial to Santa Cruz, all 46 replied, "yes", but 11 replied, "and no". People in general viewed tourism as beneficial to the economy, providing income and employment, etc. but some had reservations for the congestion and traffic problems tourism causes in high season. Finally, when asked what they thought attracted tourists the most, answers were mainly,
"The beach and Boardwalk",
Other responses were,
"Sun, sea, Wharf, scenery, surf and nature".
This recapitulates that the Beach Area is the main tourist centre and attraction. Tourist services in this area appear to vary greatly with a range of small to large shops, diners, etc. There are no major hotels in this spot, they are located out of the hustle and bustle of this area in more secluded places. Employment evidently varies too with many family-run and owner-managed businesses and many seeming to rely on part-time labour in high season.
Interview with the Director of Public Relations at the Santa Cruz Seaside Company
The Santa Cruz Seaside Company is a private corporation that has a considerable influence in the development of tourism in the Beach Area. Fig. 4b - the overlay to fig. 4a, illustrates the extensive ownership of properties and establishments by the Seaside Company. It owns and/or operates the Beach Boardwalk, Cocoanut Grove, Carousel Motel, Sea & Sand Inn, Surf Bowl, La Bahía Apartments, Holiday Inn and Chardonnay Sailing Charters (from Santa Cruz and Monterey).
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (plates 4 & Associates Inc. (3/3/93) pp. 7-21.
Sources (for figs. 5-9) : Morey & Associates Inc. (3/3/93) pp. 7-21.
List of Figures
Figure 1 - The Designated Case Study Area on the Santa Cruz Riviera.
Figure 2 - The Location of Santa Cruz in California.
Figure 3 - The Actual Case Study Area on the Santa Cruz Riviera.
Figure 4a - Land Use Map on the Santa Cruz Riviera.
Figure 4b - Overlay showing the Properties Owned by the Santa Cruz Seaside Company.
Figure 5a - Residence of Respondents to the 1992 CVC Study.
Figure 5b - Residence of Visitors.
Figure 5c - Residence of Non-Visitors.
Figure 6 - What Respondents Find Appealing about the Santa Cruz Area.
Figure 7 - Activities During Visit in the Santa Cruz Area.
Figure 8 - Length of Stay in the Santa Cruz Area.
Figure 9 - Average Spending on Various Items Whilst Visiting the Santa Cruz Area.
List of Plates
Plate 1 - Taken from the Municipal Wharf, this shows the Lighthouse on the Point, and the coastal road past the State Park and Steamer Lane Surfing Area (no surf that day). This area is largely residential, displaying no distinct patterns of land use as previously expected.
Plate 2 - Taken from West Cliff Drive, this shows the start of the Municipal Wharf with the Cocoanut Grove, Beach and Boardwalk in the background.
Plate 3 - Taken from the end of the Municipal Wharf, this shows the sheer size of the longest drive-on pier on the West Coast. Typical diners, shops and seafood restaurants in the foreground.
Plate 4 - Taken from the Municipal Wharf, this shows the Main Beach with the Cocoanut Grove and Boardwalk behind.
Plate 5 - Taken on the Boardwalk, this shows it's immense length running parallel to the beach, with the amusements, rides, snacks and ice cream vendors, etc. Note the masses of people everywhere.
Plate 6 - The Dream Inn, next to the Municipal Wharf on the beach. Built in 1963, this is one of the plusher hotels in Santa Cruz, and offers many conference facilities as well.
List of Appendices
Appendix 1 - Visitor Questionnaire.
Appendix 2 - Resident Questionnaire.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
**MATHIESON, A. & WALL, G. (1982) - Tourism: Economic, Physical and Social Impacts, Essex, Longman Group Ltd.
**OLIN, L.G. (1967) - The Development and Promotion of Santa Cruz Tourism, California, San Jose State College.
**PEARCE, D. (1989) - Tourist Development, Essex, Longman Group Ltd.
BOOKLETS AND BROCHURES
**ASSOCIATION OF MONTEREY BAY AREA GOVERNMENTS (Nov. 1984) - Regional Population and Employment Forecast 1980-2020, California, ambag.
**DEVELOPMENT CONCERN et al. (1986) - Santa Cruz Beach Area Support Program, California, Santa Cruz.
**ECONOMICS RESEARCH ASSOCIATES (Dec. 1986) - SANTA CRUZ VISITOR TOURISM DATA BASE, (Prepared for the Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce), San Francisco, ERA.
**MOREY & ASSOCIATES INC. (3/3/93) - Santa Cruz County Conference and Visitors Council 1992 Advertising Conversion Study, Santa Cruz, CVC.
**SANTA CRUZ METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA (1993) - Annual Planning Information, Santa Cruz, Employment Development Department.
**SANTA CRUZ SEASIDE COMPANY (1995) - Information Folder from Ann T. Parker, Director of Public Relations, Santa Cruz Seaside Company.
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES
**BUCKLEY, L. (14/8/89) - `Down by the Boardwalk', Newsweek, p. 1B.
**MENDOZA, M. (21/7/92) - `Tourists Migrate in Earnest', Santa Cruz Sentinel, p. A2.
**ROGERS, P. (21/9/93) - `Beautifying of Boardwalk, Wharf to Start', Mercury News, pp. B1-B2.
**WEISS, D. & WEISS, P.W. (27/5/90) - `By the Beautiful Sea at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk', San Francisco Examiner, pp. T6-T8.
