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Contact Mr. Miles Phillips for information on this program
Phone: (979) 845-1023    Email: mdphillips@ag.tamu.edu
This Web site provides access to numerous e-tools, publications and resources about nature/eco-tourism. Our goal is to assist people who are interested in nature tourism as a potential business enterprise or community development program.

According to a study from the Outdoor Industry Association, nature-based tourism has a large national economic footprint (please note that the numbers below reflect national totals):

• $730 billion contributed annually to the U.S. economy
• Over 6 million industry-related jobs
• $46 million in gear retail sales
• $243 million in trip-related sales
• $87 million in federal and state taxes

For more statistics and studies, click here.

Texas Agrilife Extension Service () References for Tourism Resources  
http://naturetourism.tamu.edu

National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation 2006 Preliminary Results

South Texas Agrilife Extension Program Providing additional information and practical tools for nature tourism development.

Local

Hotel Tax Revenue & Occupancy Rates http://www.travel.state.tx.us/asp/customreports.asp

TACVB Texas Assoc of Convention & Visitor Bureau  http://www.tacvb.org/

COC Chamber of Commerce http://www.lnstar.com/mall/main-areas/chamber/chambers.htm

EDC Economic Development Corporations http://www.tded.state.tx.us/tx-city/tx-city.htm

State Agencies

Texas Agrilife Extension Nature Tourism Program        http://naturetourism.tamu.edu

Wildlife & Fisheries Program http://wildlife.tamu.edu/programs.cfm#

Texas Agrilife Extension Rural Entrepreneur Site      http://tcre.org

TPWD Texas Parks and Wildlife Division       http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/land/programs/tourism/

TDA Texas Department of Agriculture             http://www.agr.state.tx.us/eco/rural_eco_devo/economic_development/fin_ruraltourism.htm

TX Office of the Governor - Economic Development and Tourism - Nature Tourism

                http://www.travel.state.tx.us/NatureTourism.aspx

TXDOT Texas Dept of Transportation  http://www.dot.state.tx.us/trv/default.htm

THC Texas Historical Commission http://www.thc.state.tx.us

TAC Texas Arts Commission http://www.arts.state.tx.us/toolkit/tourism/templates/glossary.asp

Non-Government Organizations Non-Profit & For-Profit

Watchable Wildlife Inc http://www.watchablewildlife.com

Southwick Associates: Economic Data http://www.southwickassociates.com

TIA Travel Industry of America   http://www.tia.org/index.html                                    

TTIA Texas Travel Industry Association  http://www.ttia.org

TWA Texas Wildlife Association  http://www.texas-wildlife.org

HAT Great Stays of Texas http://www.hat.org/

Fermatta Inc http://www.fermatainc.com/

Texas Hotel & Motel Association http://texaslodging.com

AO America Outdoors - Outfitter Association  http://www.americaoutdoors.org/

North American Farmers Direct Marketing Association  http://www.nafdma.com

Green Hotel Association http://www.greenhotels.com
Kalahari Management Inc http://www.kalahari-online.com
Municipal Resource & Service Center of Washington http://mrsc.org/Subjects/Econ/ed-TourEco.aspx
Texas Trails Network http://www.texastrails.org/
 

National Agencies

National Recreation Site http://www.recreation.gov/

USFWS United States Fish & Wildlife Service  http://federalaid.fws.gov/surveys/surveys.html

                Texas Fishing, Hunting & Wildlife Associated Recreation:        http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/01fhw/fhw01-tx.pdf

NPS National Park Service http://www.nps.govTourism Infohttp://www.nps.gov/pwro/rtca/tourism.html

USFS United States Forest Service http://www.fs.fed.us/

                Texas Forestshttp://www.fs.fed.us/r8/foresthealth/states/fh_highlights/2003/2003texas.html

NRCS Natural Resource Conservation Service - AgTourism      

                http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/RESS/altenterprise/

USDA United State Department of Agriculture Rural Information Center

                http://www.nal.usda.gov/ric/ricpubs/tourism.html

USACE Army Corps of Engineers Recreation Site/Reservoirs http://www.usace.army.mil/recreation/               

                USACE In Texas http://corpslakes.usace.army.mil/visitors/states.cfm?state=TX

Agricultural Marketing Resource Center Nature-Based Tourism http://www.agmrc.org/agmrc/commodity/agritourism/naturebasedtourism/

International

WTO World Tourism Organization  http://www.world-tourism.org/

TIES The International Ecotourism Society http://www.ecotourism.org

PLANETA.COM Private Ecotourism Organization - Mexico http://www.planeta.com