ESTIMATION OF ECOTOURISM POTENTIAL IN HIMACHAL PRADESH BY USING NON-MARKET VALUATION METHODS
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Date
2022-12
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UHF,NAUNI
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The present study entitled “Estimation of ecotourism potential in Himachal Pradesh by using
non-market valuation methods” was conducted during the year 2021 - 22 in all five national parks of
Himachal Pradesh. To find out use and non- use values of national parks, a sample of 500 visitors, one
hundred from each national park were selected randomly. Estimation of recreational and other use
values of environmental amenities of study area were done using the Individual Travel Cost Method
(ITCM) and to capture the non-use values of the amenities of national parks by Contingent Valuation
(CV) method. Various regression models were used for estimation of the demand curve. The results of
study revealed that average visitation frequency for all national parks was about two times per visitors
per year. The co-efficient of Travel Cost turned out to be negative and statistically significant which
indicate that higher the amount of travel cost less will be visitation frequency for national parks. The
estimated coefficients of education, environmental responses index and household income were also
found to be positively significant, whereas the coefficients of travelling distance worked out to be
negatively related. The average consumer surplus of the visitors estimated through truncated negative
binomial regression was Rs. 2380.95/ person/ visit. The average total travel cost was found to be Rs.
5189.77 out of which 12.06 per cent was spent on entry fee, camera charges and camping charges etc.
The main purpose of visit was recreational and aesthetic values and followed by educational or
research purposes. The prime variable for estimation of the WTP was monthly household income
which was found to be positively significant. The estimated coefficients of education and
environmental responses index were also found positively significant, whereas the coefficients of age
and family size were negatively significant. The per capita mean willingness to pay estimated
Rs.730.80/person/annum. The average numbers of visitors per year during previous five years were
25989 and most of visitors were from native state (77.60 %), other states of the country (20.40 %) and
only 2.00 per cent visitors were foreign nationals. The total use value of the park calculated from fifty
per cent of consumer surplus was estimated Rs. 309.39 lakh and non-use value was estimated Rs.
189.92 lakh. Out of average annual expenditures for conservation and maintenance of parks 13.95 per
cent costs were recovered from visitors and 86.05 per cent were recovered from government funds
and various other funding agencies. The visitor charges can be raised from present Rs. 80.96 to upto
Rs. 580.74/ person/ visit to cover whole amount of maintenance and conservation of national parks
which is even below the calculated WTP.