Abstract
Taman Negara is Malaysia’s premier national park and the largest in the country covering over 4343 square kilometers (434,300 hectares) of primary forest, spans across three states Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang - and is situated in the center of the Peninsula Malaysia. It is home to much wildlife and is a popular tourist attraction to both local and foreign tourists. This study attempts to determine the economic value of Taman Negara National Park by eliciting visitors’ willingness to pay (WTP) using contingent valuation method followed by single bounded dichotomous choices. A stepwise backward binary multivariate logistic regression model was used to measure WTP and to determine the factors that influence the variation in WTP. Primary data were obtained from 368 local and foreign visitors who have been interviewed in TN Park. The study found that both local and foreign visitors were willing to pay more than the current charges for entrance permit and nature based activities provided by TN Park. On average visitors are willing to pay for entrance permit RM 16.71 ($ 5.4) per person. The existing rate is RM 1 ($ 0.32) per person. Beside, WTP for all other activities such as fishing license, camera license, camping fee, canopy walkway and hide fee is much higher than the existing rates. The optimum pricing strategy should be a combination of policy objectives and information gathered from local and foreign visitors on WTP. In conclusion, this study can be used as a tool for revising pricing policies on TN national park in Malaysia.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/suslj.v11i1.5888Sabaragamuwa University Journal 2012; V. 11 No. 1 pp 75-93
Highlights
Tourism has undoubtedly become one of the most important and lucrative industries in the world (Boon Chui, et al, 2010). Morgan (2007),reports that tourist experience is associated with multiple interpretations from social environment and activity component of the overall experiences
The study found that both local and foreign visitors were willing to pay more than the current charges for entrance permit as well as all activities provided by TN Park
willingness to pay (WTP) for all other activities such as fishing license, camera license, camping fee, and canopy walkway and of Taman Negara National Park in Malaysia hide fee are were much more than the existing price
Summary
Tourism has undoubtedly become one of the most important and lucrative industries in the world (Boon Chui, et al,, 2010). Morgan (2007),reports that tourist experience is associated with multiple interpretations from social environment and activity component of the overall experiences. Tourism has undoubtedly become one of the most important and lucrative industries in the world (Boon Chui, et al,, 2010). Morgan (2007),reports that tourist experience is associated with multiple interpretations from social environment and activity component of the overall experiences. 1 pp 75-93 is the world’s faster growing industry and its faster growing component is ecotourism (Ecotourism Society, 2010). Ecotourism or nature tourism was growing globally four times faster than the tourism industry as a whole in 2011 (The International Ecotourism Society, 2012). In 2011 Malaysia has received 15.8 million tourists and contributed to national revenue by RM 45.8 billion or 6.9% of GDP in the same year (Board of Tourism Industry in Malaysia, 2012). Within the last decade Malaysian tourism industry promotes a destination, nature-based tourism and it has reflected key trends of tourism industry in Malaysia
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