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Tourism and local welfare: A multilevel analysis in Nepal’s protected areas

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  • Yergeau, Marie-Eve

Abstract

While environmental conservation is sometimes criticized for limiting the sources of income for the poorest populations, tourism in protected areas is often viewed in the literature as a mechanism that helps to increase local welfare and reduce poverty in developing countries. However, there are still few quantitative studies assessing how nature-based tourism is directly linked with welfare. In this article, we examine the relationships between: (1) tourism and the monetary welfare of local populations in Nepal’s protected areas and (2) self-reporting being constrained in the use of natural resources, and the welfare of the same population. We develop a two-level hierarchical linear model to take into account the database structure. We estimate that households involved in a self-employed occupation directly linked to tourism are associated with a significantly higher consumption compared with non-involved households. In addition, results suggest that tourism may generate positive externalities on the community’s welfare. We conclude that tourism development in Nepal’s protected areas should be included in a broader sustainable development agenda.

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  • Yergeau, Marie-Eve, 2020. "Tourism and local welfare: A multilevel analysis in Nepal’s protected areas," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:127:y:2020:i:c:s0305750x19303936
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2019.104744
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    2. Chengcai Tang & Qianqian Zheng & Quanlin Zhong, 2022. "Evaluation of the green development level of tourism in ecological conservation areas: A case study of Beijing," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(6), pages 1634-1654, December.
    3. Meyer, Maximilian & Hulke, Carolin & Kamwi, Jonathan & Kolem, Hannah & Börner, Jan, 2021. "Spatially heterogeneous effects of collective action on environmental dependence in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315018, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    4. Kandel, Pratikshya & Pandit, Ram & White, Benedict & Polyakov, Maksym, 2022. "Do protected areas increase household income? Evidence from a Meta-Analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    5. Mastronardi, Luigi & Cavallo, Aurora & Romagnoli, Luca, 2022. "A novel composite environmental fragility index to analyse Italian ecoregions’ vulnerability," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    6. Silva, Lauana Blenda & Comini, Indira Bifano & Alves, Eliana Boaventura Bernardes Moura & da Rocha, Samuel José Silva Soares & Jacovine, Laércio Antônio Gonçalves, 2021. "Compensating the negative environmental impacts of mining with financial mechanisms in Brazil," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    7. Pablo Ponce & Nathalie Aguirre-Padilla & Cristiana Oliveira & José Álvarez-García & María de la Cruz del Río-Rama, 2020. "The Spatial Externalities of Tourism Activities in Poverty Reduction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-17, July.
    8. D’Arco, Mario & Lo Presti, Letizia & Marino, Vittoria & Maggiore, Giulio, 2021. "Is sustainable tourism a goal that came true? The Italian experience of the Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Welfare; Protected area; Tourism; Multilevel model;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • Q26 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Recreational Aspects of Natural Resources
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products

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