The impact of tourism towards environmental attributes derive from tourism activities such as boating, snorkeling, diving and fishing. The Chesapeake Bay strengthens the area’s overall tourism generating about $33 billion a year. The main fisheries of the Chesapeake Bay are blue crabs, oysters and striped bass/rockfish. These fisheries contribute a great deal to the Bay area’s economies. In fact, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the commercial seafood industry in Maryland and parts of Virginia contributed $3.39 billion in sales, $890 million in income and almost 34,000 jobs to the local economy. Tourism and recreation activities generate about $2.03 billion in revenue and 32,025 jobs in the Chesapeake Bay area.
However, these industries have suffered as result of the degradation of the Bay area’s ecosystems and of the water pollution of the Bay itself. Striped bass alone result in $500 million in economic activity related to fishing expenditures, travel, and lodging each year. In terms of real estate, clean water can increase the value of a single family home that is located 4,000 feet of closer to the shoreline by up to 25 percent. Cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay would greatly help restore Maryland’s economy.