The travel industry has become the "largest business on earth" and is likely to remain so well into the future, with demand for travel exhibiting greater variation than ever before. The California Trade and Commerce Agency's Division of Tourism (CalTour) estimates that the travel industry and associated recreation in California generates approximately $55.2 billion annually (6.5% of the gross state product) and supports almost 700,000 jobs statewide, making California first in the nation for travel earnings, domestic visitors and overseas visitors.  

Ocean and coastal tourism activities in California offer visitors a broad range of opportunities that vary from visits to resorts, bed and breakfast inns, hotels, and campgrounds to more adventurous activities such as coastal cruises, wind surfing, deep sea fishing, backpacking, and hang gliding. While visiting ocean and coastal areas, tourists will often engage in recreational activities, although a majority of recreational users are local residents. Overall, ocean and coastal activities play an important role in recreation in California. In fact, based on number of visitors in 1991, four out of the State's top ten recreational attractions were ocean or coastal in nature (shown in bold face type below).

• Golden Gate National Recreation Area 14,650,213
• Disneyland, Anaheim 11,610,000
• Old Town San Diego State Historic Park 5,489,015
• Universal Studios, Universal City 4,625,000
• Knott's Berry Farm, Buena Park 4,000,000
• Yosemite National Park 3,423,696
• Sea World, San Diego 3,300,000
• Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia 3,200,000
• Huntington State Beach 3,043,278
• Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk 3,000,000

A survey by the California Department of Parks and Recreation concluded that in 1991 almost 70% of Californians had participated in beach activities an average of 21 days, surpassed in participants only by visiting museums/historic sites and recreational walking. They also found that 25% of Californians had participated in saltwater fishing an average of 15 days each. Not only is there an increasing number of traditional ocean and coastal recreation enthusiasts, but also a surge in the types of activities in which people can participate.

The rapid increase in ocean and coastal recreation activities and participants in the last 40 years has created a highly segmented but dynamic industry. Advances in equipment technology have allowed the development of lightweight, durable and weather-resistant materials, and have also been a primary factor in new recreational activities. The 1950's and 60's included a revolution in ocean recreation as the sports of surfing and scuba diving emerged. Activities such as wind surfing and the use of personal watercraft (sometimes referred to as "thrill craft") have dramatically increased in the past 20 years. As the public seeks new ways to enjoy the ocean, sports such as kayaking and open water rowing have been adapted for use in bays, estuaries, and the open ocean. Long enjoyed activities, such as sport fishing, snorkeling, sailing, motor boating and body surfing also continue with increasing numbers of participants along the California coast.

California's ocean and coastal recreational resources are managed or governed by a complex array of local, State and federal agencies, private industry and non-profit organizations. Some of the public agencies include: local public works departments; local or regional parks and recreation departments; the California Coastal Commission and State departments of Parks and Recreation, Fish and Game, and Boating and Waterways; and the U.S. Coast Guard, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Marine Fisheries Service. Private industry and non-profit organizations manage recreational resources such as aquariums, bird observatories, habitat refuges, beach accessways, and golf courses.