Estimating the Economic Value of an Ecotourism Area: The Case of Bishangari Lodge
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Date
2007-08
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A.A.U
Abstract
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.
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Keywords
Economic Value Of An Ecotourism