Economic valuation of natural promenades in Iran using zonal travel costs method (Case study area: Gahar Lake in Lorestan Province in western Iran).

Maryam Morovati,Bing Xue,Ebrahim Kheyri,Akram Neshat,Gholamreza Siahati

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0241396

Abstract

Gahar Lake is located within Oshtorankooh Protected Area (east of Lorestan Province in Iran), which has extensive potentials for the development of the tourism industry. The aim of the present research was to determine the economic value of the Gohar Lake resort using the zonal travel cost method. Therefore, at first, 380 questionnaires were distributed among the tourists by the simple random sampling method based on appropriate spatiotemporal distribution during the visiting seasons. The questionnaire items were categorized as economic, social, and miscellaneous parts. The calculation results revealed a value of USD 84.538 per visitor and a value of USD 1,986,657.163 per year, indicating the high value and importance of the region. The analysis showed that socio-economic variables have a significant role in the use or non-use of the resort. The obtained R2 coefficient was 0.82, indicating that around 82% of the changes in the number of visitors can be justified by the variables introduced in the model. The results also revealed the need to pay more attention to this region and formulate a tourism development plan.

Highlights

The environment and natural ecosystems provide goods and services which, regardless of whether or not they are used, lead to the well-being of communities [1, 2]
The aim of this study was to determine the economic value of the lake resort area using the zonal travel cost method
Gahar Lake is one of the most beautiful natural and tourist landscapes of Lorestan Province and Iran, which is unique in its kind

Summary

Introduction

The environment and natural ecosystems provide goods and services which, regardless of whether or not they are used, lead to the well-being of communities [1, 2]. According to the definition of the World Tourism Organization, tourism is a set of activities persons do, while traveling to or staying in a place other than their own living places for the purposes of entertainment, recreation, rest, sports and so on, which do not last for more than one year [3, 4]. Valuing tourist areas and environmental functions is an important step in modifying economic decisions, which often assume environmental resources as free goods and services. Economic valuation of natural promenades in Iran using zonal travel costs method

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Discussion

Conclusion