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Measuring the Social Recreation Per-Day Net Benefit of the Wildlife Amenities of a National Park: A Count-Data Travel-Cost Approach

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Abstract

In this article, we apply count-data travel-cost methods to a truncated sample of visitors to estimate the Peneda-Gerês National Park (PGNP) average consumer surplus (CS) for each day of visit. The measurement of recreation demand is highly specific because it is calculated by number of days of stay per visit. We therefore propose the application of altered truncated count-data models or truncated count-data models on grouped data to estimate a single, on-site individual recreation demand function, with the price (cost) of each recreation day per trip equal to out-of-pocket and time travel plus out-of-pocket and on-site time costs. We further check the sensitivity of coefficient estimations to alternative models and analyse the welfare measure precision by using the delta and simulation methods by Creel and Loomis. With simulated limits, CS is estimated to be €194 (range €116 to €448). This information is of use in the quest to improve government policy and PNPG management and conservation as well as promote nature-based tourism. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to measure the average recreation net benefits of each day of stay generated by a national park by using truncated altered and truncated grouped count-data travel-cost models based on observing the individual number of days of stay.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support was received from the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, FCT/POCTI, partially funded by FEDER and is gratefully appreciated. We are especially indebted to João Santos Silva for many useful comments and suggestions preparation of this manuscript. We also thank the important editors’ and reviewers’ comments and suggestions and the efforts of our native English speakers. Any remaining errors are, of course, our own.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ISEG–SOCIUS, Technical University of Lisbon, Rua Miguel Lupi, 20, 1249-078, Lisbon, Portugal

    Isabel Mendes

  2. ISEG-CEMAPRE, Technical University of Lisbon, Rua Miguel Lupi, 20, 1249-078, Lisbon, Portugal

    Isabel Proença

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  1. Isabel Mendes
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  2. Isabel Proença
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Correspondence to Isabel Mendes.

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Table 5 Nonnested specification tests
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Mendes, I., Proença, I. Measuring the Social Recreation Per-Day Net Benefit of the Wildlife Amenities of a National Park: A Count-Data Travel-Cost Approach. Environmental Management 48, 920–932 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-011-9733-1

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