Browsing by Author "Begashaw, Mlaku"

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    Estimating the Economic Value of an Ecotourism Area: The Case of Bishangari Lodge
    (A.A.U, 2007-08) Begashaw, Mlaku; Berhanu, Wasse (Dr.)
    Ecotourism is purposefiiltravel to natural areas to understand the culture and natural history o/the environment; taking care not to alter the integrity o/the ecosystem; producing economic opportunities that make the conservation o/natural resources beneficial to local people. It is currently the/astest growing sector o/the world's largest service industlY, tourism. The key problem driving the accelerating widespread destruction and degradation o/the natural environment o/the country is that the importance 0/ environmental conservation and sustainable development to socio-economic development is undervalued by our society. To appeal/or decision makers the importance 0/ conservation empirical evidence is necessary. By employing lndividual Travel cost Method o/Valuationto measure the recreational economic benefit using on-site survey data from Bishangari ecolodge in Eastern Shewa Zone, Oromya Region, this paper estimates a lruncated count data demand model 10 estimate the users' value 0/ access to this wilderness area. The recreational benefit o/the site was estimated to be Birr 3,943 ,500 implying that the site authorities wlleGled 25 % o/lhis some.