Recreational charter fishing boat operators on the South Carolina coast must adapt to higher fuel costs, regulatory limitations, competition, and customers seeking lower prices. A promising strategy for these operators might be trips with new or expanded experiences such as interpretation of fish ecology, marine resource management, local history, or even offshore energy development. We know that coastal tourists are interested in guided nature and historical tours, but not whether anglers and/or non-anglers would be more attracted to offshore trips with these experiences. We do not know how much charter operators are including these experiences or their preparation for delivery of information on these topics that is credible, timely, interesting and engaging for customers. A consumer survey (anglers & nonanglers) and assessment of capacity and training needs will be valuable.
This research will explore the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges faced by charter operators in their efforts to non-fishing value-added services and experiences to anglers and non-anglers visiting or recreating on the South Carolina coast, (2) assess the demand for value-added charter experiences and services among anglers and non-anglers visiting and/or recreating by examining the relative importance of fishing and non-fishing trip attributes, and (3) analyze the gap between capacity of charter operators and consumer demand for providing quality value-added experiences and services that involve outreach and interpretation on marine ecology, fisheries management, history and culture, and offshore energy development.