Potential Tourist Market

This Nature Tourism study was quite useful in determining where the potential tourist market
for nature-based tourism in Nova Scotia originates. “A key finding of this analysis is that up to 35%
of tourists to Nova Scotia have at least some interest in nature activities.”19 The report identified the
potential nature tourism market for Nova Scotia as being concentrated in urban centers. The major
North American and European urban areas are where the majority of this tourist segment originated.
The report also found that the typical nature tourist to Nova Scotia is in a middle-high income bracket,
has traveled extensively, and often travels with their family. Also of significance to the development
of tourism is the vast economic benefit that can be realized from the development of nature tourism
within Nova Scotia. According to the report, “spending by nature travelers was roughly twice the
spending by non-nature tourism visitors.” The international traveler typically spent more on their trip
than the Canadian traveler.”20 Given the obvious economic potential that this statement implies, it is
quite prudent of the Nova Scotia Department of Tourism to be looking at developing nature tourism in
the province. There is no more recent N.S. Nature tourism study for the area, but more recent tourism
statistics can be obtained from http://www.nstpc.com/research_reports_ip.html Cathy Macdonald at
the Halifax office of the Department of Tourism. Tourism to the province has been affected by recent
world events. Due to increased security issues throughout the world and the uncertainty of the world
situation, the tourism industry will continue to be affected, however it is unclear how much of a
decrease in tourists has occurred

The economic potential of nature tourism is not just from the spending by these tourists but
due to their higher income. The following table shows that the average nature tourist makes a higher
annual household income than the rest of the tourist base, according to the 1992 Visitor Exit Survey
found in the 1992 Nova Scotia Nature Tourism Study.
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