A socio-economic study of selected Newfoundland provincial camping parks

Jamieson, Edward William (1973) A socio-economic study of selected Newfoundland provincial camping parks. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

Because of the increasing demands being made on the Newfoundland Provincial Park System and a lack of data concerning the social and economic characteristics of those using these parks, the writer determined that a study of selected provincial camping parks would help to fill some gaps in the basic data base in the sphere of outdoor recreation in Newfoundland. -- Data was gathered from the records of the Newfoundland Provincial Parks Service and by means of a mail questionnaire survey. The sample of eleven hundred parties provided the basis for all of the social data contained in this and much of the economic data. -- The thesis commences with a brief demographic and economic history of Newfoundland and is followed by an historical account of the development of provincial parks in the province. The policy formulation and planning functions of the Provincial Parks Service are also briefly discussed. -- A survey of the pertinent literature in the field of outdoor recreation was done and it was obvious that there was little or no agreement among the various authorities on the means necessary to ascertain the economic costs and benefits of outdoor recreation. -- Using a modified version of the Clawson method, this writer attempted to determine such social characteristics as origin, size of party, age, education, income, reason for visit, mode of travel, and length of stay. -- The. economic data was of two types, that concerning the operational and maintenance costs of the parks and that dealing with the expenditures of the sample in their home community before the excursion, on the way to the parks, while at the parks, on the way home from the parks, and in their home community after the trip. These figures were then projected to include the entire universe of campers in 1970 using Newfoundland parks in an attempt to determine overall expenditure. -- The basic conclusion arrived at was that although the spending by campers does make a contribution to the economy of the province, it is a small one.

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