business boom like never before .
To sum up Flagler County ’ s ecotourism opportunities , one would be hard pressed to find such a similar comparison in the state of Florida . One example would be the county ’ s 45,000 acres of unfragmented , continuous coastal wetlands .
Chris Kelley , owner of Ripple Effect Ecotours , describes Flagler County as having “ one of the most pristine coastal habitats and some of the broadest natural resource conservation you ’ ll find anywhere in coastal Florida .” Guided kayak tours , set out from Marineland Marina and cross the Matanzas River until they reach a lagoon that ’ s seven miles wide and a foot deep . That lagoon habitat hasn ’ t changed much in the last 10,000 years . The area is one of the “ last fully functioning ecosystems that you ’ ll find anywhere in Florida . Kelley also states that “ one of the most remote , quietest , pristine hyper fertile estuaries that you ’ ll find in the country is here in Flagler County .”
With Covid-19 still impacting the global tourism landscape ,
ecotourism offers a great alternative to some of the traditional tourism attractions available in the state of Florida . The pandemic has had a dual effect on recreational amenities . While indoor recreation has been challenging to reinstitute , outdoor ecotourism amenities have become more popular than ever . Ecotourism destinations have been able to quickly utilize their resources to safely open . Kim Brown commented that greenspaces , trails and socially distanced sports have been able to support the physical and mental health of visitors while providing them with vital community services .
David Rivera , Jr ., PhD is the Director of Hospitality & Tourism and Chair of Business Administration Dept . at Flagler College .
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