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Valuing visitor services and access to protected areas: The case of Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda

Author

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  • Lal, Pankaj
  • Wolde, Bernabas
  • Masozera, Michel
  • Burli, Pralhad
  • Alavalapati, Janaki
  • Ranjan, Aditi
  • Montambault, Jensen
  • Banerjee, Onil
  • Ochuodho, Thomas
  • Mugabo, Rodrigue

Abstract

Policymakers and recreation site managers use changes in fee structure, either introducing park entrance fees or increasing existing ones, to generate revenues, improve services, and reduce damages associated with over-use. Increase in park usage fee, however, can make the park inaccessible to certain segments of tourists. Understanding park users' response to changes in fees and its implication on park use equity is, thus, important to achieving a park's full potential in a socially and environmentally responsible way. This information is crucial especially for developing countries, where the issue has received relatively less attention and national park systems are chronically underfunded. This paper contributes to the literature on park access fees by: empirically assessing park use equity between and among international and national tourists visiting Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda, and; developing an approach for determining predictors and mean willingness to pay values for park entrance. Results of our survey-based approach show a positive willingness to pay values for park entrance and fee increases. Our results also show that it is possible to raise revenue without exacerbating existing park use differences.

Suggested Citation

  • Lal, Pankaj & Wolde, Bernabas & Masozera, Michel & Burli, Pralhad & Alavalapati, Janaki & Ranjan, Aditi & Montambault, Jensen & Banerjee, Onil & Ochuodho, Thomas & Mugabo, Rodrigue, 2017. "Valuing visitor services and access to protected areas: The case of Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 141-151.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:touman:v:61:y:2017:i:c:p:141-151
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tourman.2017.01.019
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    Cited by:

    1. Onil Banerjee & Martin Cicowiez & Thomas Ochuodho & Michel Masozera & Bernabas Wolde & Pankaj Lal & Sebastian Dudek & Janaki R.R. Alavalapati, 2017. "Financing the Sustainable Management of Rwanda’s Protected Areas," CEDLAS, Working Papers 0211, CEDLAS, Universidad Nacional de La Plata.
    2. Rumin Zheng & Shuo Zhen & Lin Mei & Hongqiang Jiang, 2021. "Ecotourism Practices in Potatso National Park from the Perspective of Tourists: Assessment and Developing Contradictions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-14, November.
    3. Johane Dikgang & Edwin Muchapondwa & Jesper Stage, 2017. "Securing benefits for local communities from international visitors to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park," Tourism Economics, , vol. 23(8), pages 1553-1567, December.
    4. Ante Mandić & Lidija Petrić, 2021. "The impacts of location and attributes of protected natural areas on hotel prices: implications for sustainable tourism development," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 833-863, January.
    5. George Halkos & Aikaterini Leonti & Eleni Sardianou, 2020. "Assessing the Preservation of Parks and Natural Protected Areas: A Review of Contingent Valuation Studies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-24, June.
    6. Ante Mandić, 2019. "Nature-based solutions for sustainable tourism development in protected natural areas: a review," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 39(3), pages 249-268, September.

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