Visitors’ Willingness to Pay for The Existence Value of A Coastal Ecosystem on Rupat Island, Bengkalis Regency, Riau Province, Indonesia

Abstract

This current work was conducted on July 2021 in Rupat Island, Regency of Bengkalis, Province of Riau. The study aimed to estimate visitor’s Willingness to Pay (WTP) and analyze factors contributing to the funding in attempt to develop ecoutourism of Rupat Island. Outcome of this work can be beneficial to tourism management in relation to improvement of service and facilities that support tourist activities. Primary and secondary data were collected using interview and field observation. Population of the study included travelers in ecotourism of Rupat Island, while those accepting interview were regarded as sample or respondents. In this regard, number of respondents reached 30 persons. Data were collected through Contingent Valuation Method approach and then analyzed using logistic regression. As the results, average value of visitor’s WTP was Rp15.429, with the lowest and highest of IDR3.000 and IDR30.000, respectively. For a month, total visitor’s WTP could reach IDR231.428.571. Furthermore, analysis on factors contributing to WTP significantly revealed that visitor’s income showed positive correlation with WTP, while travel cost and distance showed contrast result. Other factors, i.e. age, education and sex, showed no effects on decision of WTP in development of Rupat Island as ecotourism in Bengkalis.