Improving the North Carolina Oyster Trail by Matching Supply and Demand Data: Lessons learned from COVID-19 adaptations

Author Bios (50 Words for each Author)

Emily Yeager is an Assistant Professor at East Carolina University in the Department of Recreation Sciences. Her research focuses on sustainable community development through tourism.

Whitney Knollenberg is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management at North Carolina State University. Her research focuses on tourism leadership and the influence of policy, planning, and partnerships in sustainable tourism development.

Carla Barbieri is a Professor in Sustainable Tourism (North Carolina State University, USA) where she leads the “Agritourism & Societal Wellbeing” lab. She investigates the economic, socio-cultural, and environmental impacts of agritourism at the farm household and society levels. She also studies the sustainability of niche tourism.

Jane Harrison is North Carolina Sea Grant’s coastal economics specialist. Her research informs coastal decision-makers about the intersections between environmental resource use and economic development. Harrison earned her doctorate in forest social science from Oregon State University and an M.S. degree in environmental economics from The Ohio State University.

Abstract (150 Words)

The mariculture industry provides economic diversification to coastal communities as well as environmental benefits such as improved water quality, resulting from the water-filtering properties of oysters and clams (NC Shellfish Mariculture Advisory Committee, 2018). These benefits have encouraged the North Carolina (NC) legislature to devote resources to strategies that would develop this industry, including the creation of a North Carolina Oyster Trail (NCOT).

To expand and ensure the sustainability of this NCOT effort, greater information is needed about the demand for mariculture tourism experiences. Therefore, a mixed-method approach was taken to generate an inventory of existing assets and resources needed for the future growth of the NCOT. This presentation reflects upon lessons learned from the implementation of this mixed-method study and adaptation strategies employed to continue the study in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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Improving the North Carolina Oyster Trail by Matching Supply and Demand Data: Lessons learned from COVID-19 adaptations

The mariculture industry provides economic diversification to coastal communities as well as environmental benefits such as improved water quality, resulting from the water-filtering properties of oysters and clams (NC Shellfish Mariculture Advisory Committee, 2018). These benefits have encouraged the North Carolina (NC) legislature to devote resources to strategies that would develop this industry, including the creation of a North Carolina Oyster Trail (NCOT).

To expand and ensure the sustainability of this NCOT effort, greater information is needed about the demand for mariculture tourism experiences. Therefore, a mixed-method approach was taken to generate an inventory of existing assets and resources needed for the future growth of the NCOT. This presentation reflects upon lessons learned from the implementation of this mixed-method study and adaptation strategies employed to continue the study in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.