Estimating the tourism value of Chaghakhor wetland in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province of Iran using the individual travel cost method

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Environmental Sciences, School of Natural Resources & Desert Studies, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.

2 Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics, Management and Accounting, Yazd University, Yazd Iran.

10.22059/jne.2024.376067.2664

Abstract

Wetlands are highly productive ecosystems that play an important role in the well-being of human societies. However, the health of these valuable ecosystems is severely affected by environmental pressures caused by human activities. In the present study, the recreational value of Chaghakhor Wetland, located in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Iran, has been estimated using the individual travel cost valuation method and based on the linear-logarithmic model. In some studies, the regional travel cost method is used for this purpose, while in the present study, since most of the visitors are locals, so the individual travel cost method was used. The number of examined samples was calculated using Cochran's method which included 150 questionnaires. Based on the results, travel cost, monthly income, education and visiting season have a significant effect on the number of annual visits (P<0.05). The consumer surplus of each visitor is 1.2 million tomans, and the annual recreational value and the recreational value of each hectare are estimated to be 184 billion and 80 million tomans, respectively. Based on the results, the recreational value of the studied area is more than similar cases in Iran. The cool weather and the presence of many natural attractions in this wetland are the reasons for this higher value, which has led to the greater attractiveness of this wetland compared to other tourist places in Iran.

Keywords

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