Economic Evaluation of Proposed Long-Distance Walking Tracks in the Wet Tropics of Queensland

An increasingly popular activity in the Wet Tropics of Queensland is bushwalking, which can provide benefits for both the visitors and the local community. While long-distance tracks--with huts and camp sites for overnight stays--are common in some countries (notably New Zealand), this appears to be an ecotourism opportunity which has been overlooked in North Queensland. A market model can be developed in which the supply (indicated by marginal cost) and demand (community willingness to pay) and efficient pricing for a proposed long-distance walking track are estimated. Where a track does not currently exist, transfer of demand estimates from other tracks and inferences about total market size are required. This paper discusses the economic modelling and estimation issues in evaluation of long-distance walking track proposals in the Wet Tropics of Queensland. Demand estimation (with reference to a visitor survey for the Thorsborne Trail on Hinchinbrook Island) and supply estimation in terms of track development and maintenance costs are examined.