Abstract
The culture of Jeju Haenyeo, the women free divers of Jeju Island, is inscribed on United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list; however, it is proving difficult to maintain this status because, in the absence of conservation measures, the number of Haenyeo is decreasing. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to use contingent valuation to determine the economic value of preserving Jeju Haenyeo culture, which derives from visitor entrance fees, with the aim of justifying the preservation of this and other such intangible cultural resources. Despite its methodological advantage of allowing estimation of the value of non-market goods, the contingent valuation method (CVM) has been criticized because the hypothetical nature of the conditions can cause overestimation. To overcome that limitation, the respondents in this study reported their willingness to pay (WTP), and their responses were repeatedly confirmed to ensure their sincerity. The CVM estimate of the preservation value of Jeju Haenyeo culture was 17,308 South Korean Won. The results of this study serve as referential data on the value of cultural heritages and the need to preserve and utilize these resources.
Highlights
Artifacts of cultural heritage can be preserved and restored to serve as foundations for sustainable tourism and related industries [1,2,3,4]
Korea’s culture of the Jeju Haenyeo, the famed free diving women, is a world heritage with high recognition and value as a symbol of Jeju Island culture, but the rapidly changing environment and the aging of the women pose the threat of extinction, and there are no proposed practical solutions for preserving it as a cultural resource
The successful preservation of the culture of Jeju Haenyeo could serve as a model for future sustainable tourism efforts
Summary
Artifacts of cultural heritage can be preserved and restored to serve as foundations for sustainable tourism and related industries [1,2,3,4]. The 2012 World Conservation Congress adopted an agenda that calls for redefining the unique value of culture to come up with ways to preserve the endangered Haenyeo community; the Korean government is promoting various measures to popularize the culture Despite these efforts, most previous studies on the crisis of the Jeju Haenyeo have focused on current difficulties and alternatives, and none have studied the culture’s practical value as an intangible cultural heritage entity. Framing a culture’s meaning with the value estimation method provides a basis for the development of alternative means of expanding and preserving awareness of that culture In this context, the culture of Jeju Haenyeo needs to be re-recognized as a unique intangible cultural heritage that is distinct from tangible resources
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