The Economic Impact of Tourism in Xinghai Park, China: A Travel Cost Value Analysis Using Count Data Regression Models

Abstract

Using the travel cost method, the authors measure the recreational trip value of Xinghai Park in Dalian, China. They compare non-linear, truncated Poisson and truncated negative-binomial count data models to estimate recreational trip demand. The economic values of recreational trips in terms of consumer surplus (CS) are derived from each model. They estimate the CS values at between RMB ¥493 (US$64) to RMB ¥562 (US$73) per trip, resulting in a total social welfare estimate in the range from RMB ¥1.08 billion to RMB ¥1.23 billion (US$140 million to US$160 million in 2007).