Determinants of Visitors’ Willingness to Pay for Mianjangal Ecotourism Area in Fasa County

Subject Areas : Environmental Economics

Samad Erfanifar ¹ , hassan azarm ² , Navid Kargar Dehbidi ³

1 - Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics, Darab College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran. *(Corresponding Author)
2 - Ph.D. Students of Natural Resources and Environmental Economics, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
3 - Ph.D. Students of Natural Resources and Environmental Economics, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.

Received: 2019-10-21 Accepted : 2020-10-13 Published : 2021-11-22

Keywords: Bid vector, Censored normal regression, Contingent Valuation, Mianjangal ecotourism area,

Abstract :

Background and Objective: Economic valuation by quantifying the benefits is an effective step towards improving environmental policies to sustain and develop the ecotourism industry. Accordingly, the main purpose of this study was to investigate the tourists’ willingness of to pay to visit Mianjangal ecotourism area in Fasa County. Material and Methodology: The required data were collected by single-bounded dichotomous choice contingent valuation method through completing questionnaires from a random sample of 542 tourists in April 2019. The censored normal regression model was used to estimate the visitors' willingness to pay and identify the factors affecting it. Findings: The results showed that willingness to pay to visit this ecotourism area is negatively affected both by the age of household head and by the household size. Also, the effect of educational level of head of household, household income and annual recreational trips to natural areas on tourists’ willingness to pay was estimated to be significantly positive. Based on the effect of gender variable, female- headed households are more willing to pay than male-headed households. The average tourists’ willingness to pay for a one-day staying at Mianjangal ecotourism site was estimated at 205205 Rial. Discussion and Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, government supportive policies are proposed to increase the purchasing power of low-income and crowded household; and furthermore, increasing household ecotourism information can lead to the spread of tourism culture and to rise the number of recreational trips to the study area.  

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