Measuring Recreational Value of World Heritage Sites Based on Contingent Valuation Method:A Case Study of Jiuzhaigou

World heritage possesses various kinds of use value and non-use value. Measuring the recreational value of world heritage sites is a key issue in the heritage tourism. This paper employs Contingent Valuation Method (CVM), which is an evaluation instrument on the basis of tourists′ attitude and preference, to measure the recreational value of Jiuzhaigou, one of the World Natural Heritage sites in China, and analyzes the biases in the survey. The results show that: 1) In 2009, Jiuzhaigou′s recreational value was 3.46×108 yuan (RMB), and the per capita Willingness to Pay (WTP) was 137.31 yuan by CVM. Compared with the results of other methods, this result is significantly low. 2) Among the factors that influence Jiuzhaigou tourists′ WTP, psychological perception factors have the greatest effect while demographic and socio-economic characteristics have a small effect on WTP. 3) The virtuality in CVM creates biases both from CVM itself and in the procedures that CVM was implemented. The former includes hypothetical bias, information bias, protest response bias, and strategic bias; and the latter includes the questionnaire design, population and sample definition, sampling and data processing. The paper analyses those biases and illustrates their potential in-fluences on the accuracy of CVM measurement. 4) Although there are various defects in CVM measurement, it is still an effective valuation method.

Estimation of conservation value of myrtle(Myrtus communis)using a contingent valuation method:a case study in a Dooreh forest area,Lorestan Province,Iran

Background： Around 2000 plant species occur naturally in Lorestan Province of which 250 species are medicinal and myrtle is one of them. Myrtle is a shrub whose leaves and fruits have medicinal value and thus, if managed and harvested properly, could produce sustained economic benefits. In recent years, however, over half of the myrtle site areas was destroyed, due to inappropriate management and excessive harvesting practices. Thus, coming up with a practical harvesting approach along with identifying those factors damaging the sites, seems to be very crucial. Methods： In our investigation, we calculated the conservation value per hectare of myrtle in the Dooreh forest area in Lorestan Province. Using the Contingent Valuation （CV） and Double Bounded Dichotomous Choice （DBDC） methods, we determined the willingness to pay （VVTP） for myrtle conservation. The VVTP was estimated with a Iogit model for which indices were obtained based on a maximum precision criterion. Results： The results showed that 86.67 per cent of people were willing to pay for the conservation of these myrtle sites. Average monthly WTP per family was calculated as $0.79. The annual conservation value in terms of WTP for the preservation of the myrtle sites in Dooreh was estimated as $102,525. Among the variables of the model presented, education had a positive impact, while the amount proposed for payment and family size had a negative impact on the WTP. Conclusions： Our estimate of the value of myrtle conservation should provide justification for policy makers and decision making bodies of natural resources to implement policies in order to conserve the natural sites of this species more effectively.

Development of contingent valuation method in evaluating non-market values of resources and environment in China

The contingent valuation method （CVM） is one of the main methods for evaluating non-market values of resources. It originated in the United States and was introduced into China during the 1980s and 1990s. However, application of CVM in China is highly controversial based on three primary aspects： （I） the appropriate guidelines for CVM; （2） the elicitation techniques for willingness to pay （WTP）; and （3） reliability and validity testing of CVM. The major objectives of this paper are to i^eview the recem devel- opments pertaining to guidelines, elicitation techniques, and reliability and validity testing for application of CVM, and to summa- rize the limitations of and measures for improving application of CVM in China. The applicability of CVM in China is discussed to enhance the future development of CVM in China.

The Opportunity Cost as a Critical Determinant Factor of the Cultural Heritage Monuments＇ Valuation： A Modified Contingent Valuation Method

The subject of this study, which involves two surveys, is to estimate externalities created round a cultural heritage preservation site by means of a CVM （Contingent Valuation Method）. The first survey was conducted for the ruins of ancient ＂Diolkos＂ located in Isthmus of Corinth, Greece using a sample of 200 soldiers. The second survey was conducted for the ancient theater of Lefkada, using a sample of 100 tourists mad locals. The results have been analyzed with Logit model regression. The findings show that willingness to pay （or participate） is strongly affected by opportunity cost and awareness of the site＇s history. Further, income level and education level play a critical role in developing volunteering activity.

The Contingent Valuation Method for Thessaloniki＇s Aesthetic Pollution in Greece

The purpose of this study is to provide an evaluation of the possible criteria used by the people of Thessaloniki for the evaluation of public goods and the investigation of the benefits of the conservation and restoration of city structures affected by carbon monoxide. These benefits are expressed in monetary units by using the CVM （Contingent Valuation Method）. The maintenance of the urban environment often entails excessive costs paid by the people through taxation. A city free of aesthetic pollution results in an increase in tourism. A portion of taxation paid by the citizens is allocated to cleaning the city. An increase in tourism provides the government with additional revenue through VAT （Value Added Taxes）. The main findings show that in a large proportion, 28% of the interviewees are willing to pay, but those that are willing to pay significant amounts tend to prefer mild interventions to the buildings, while those （42%） that agree with minimal to null amount demand radical intervention. The latter group, also, considers any contribution of theirs to restoration as unfair, judging that this expenditure should be covered exclusively by the State. Last but not least, from a sociopsychological point of view, this attitude could be attributed to extreme personalities which tend to prefer more holistic and direct solutions （i.e., no mixed strategy involving people and the State is acceptable by interviewees who considered themselves as having no further obligations after regular tax-paying）; as a result, they think that the State is exclusively responsible to resolve the situation.

Pointwise Convergence of a Nonparametric Estimator of Regression in a Measurable Space Used in Contingent Valuation Method

The Contingent Valuation Method is used to evaluate individual preferences for a change concerning a public non-market resource or property. The objective is to build a nonparametric forecasting model of an individual＇s Willingness To Pay according to geographical location. Within this framework, an estimator （of type Nadaraya-Watson） is proposed for the regression of the variable related to geolocation. The specific characteristics of the location variable lead us to a more general regression model than the traditional models. Results are established for convergence of our estimator.

Business valuation methods selection that based on the life cycle

Based on modem financial markets becoming more and more perfect, in company stock, bonds, represented by the investment banking has permeated all aspects of life. Business valuation is the core of value management.However, companies in different stages of development have a certain stage characteristics, and therefore from the features and characteristics of the different stages of business valuation methods and the factors that affect the value of different businesses created to start, can provide investors assess the business value of new ideas.

Estimating the value of a statistical life in China: A contingent valuation study in six representative cities

The value of a statistical life(VSL)is a crucial tool for monetizing health impacts.To explore the VSL in China,this study examines people’s willingness to pay(WTP)to reduce death risk from air pollution in six representative cities in China based on face-to-face contingent valuation interviews(n=3936)from March 7,2019 to September 30,2019.The results reveal that the WTP varied from CNY 455 to 763 in 2019(USD 66-111),corresponding to a VSL range of CNY 3.79-6.36 million(USD 549395-921940).The VSL in China in 2019 is estimated to be CNY 4.76 million(USD 689659).The statistics indicate that monthly expenditure levels,environmental concerns,risk attitudes,and assumed market acceptance,which have seldom been dis‐cussed in previous studies,significantly impact WTP and VSL.These findings will serve as a reference for ana‐lyzing mortality risk reduction benefits in future research and for policymaking.

Economic Valuation of Auctioned Tourist Hunting Blocks in Tanzania

Economic valuation of ecosystems is increasingly being recognized as an important exercise to inform sustainable utilization and conservation of natural assets. It helps in planning and establishing fair profit margins that accrue either directly or indirectly from the consumptive and non-consumptive uses of ecosystem goods and services. This paper is based on a study which estimated the economic values of tourist hunting blocks (HBs) in Tanzania using the Analytic Multicriteria Valuation Method (AMUVAM). The study used a sample size of 12 out of 24 vacant hunting blocks which were to be auctioned to potential hunting companies in December 2022. The economic values of HBs were estimated using the time horizon of 10 years (the mean tenure for winning company). The results show that the economic values ranged from USD 6,215,588 to USD 653,470,695 per hunting block and the Existence Value (EV) constituted about 19% of the Total Economic Value (TEV). EV ranged from USD 632,210 to USD 125,147,285. The study underscores the need for decisions to allocate ecosystems, such as HBs, to both direct and indirect uses, to be guided by a though understanding of their values. We further recommend building the capacity of staff charged with the role of managing and allocating uses of these ecosystems to enable them undertake economic valuation of ecosystems using both simple and more robust analytical tools, such as the GIS, relational databases, and worldwide websites based tools, like InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Environmental Services and Tradeoffs), ARIES (Artificial Intelligence for Ecosystem Services), and Co$ting Nature.

Preserving environmental quality of ecotourism sites through community participation in Purulia District of West Bengal,India

The importance of valuing environmental resources,especially in ecotourism sites,has become increasingly important over the last two decades.Ecotourism is now considered as an important source of livelihood of local stakeholders in backward regions.Therefore,the preservation of ecotourism sites through community participation seems very important to maintain continued flow of tourists.This study aimed at recognizing the importance of community participation for the preservation of ecotourism sites.For this,this study executed a survey based on non-probability sampling in two ecotourism sites(Garpanchkot and Baranti)covering 100 respondents in Purulia District,West Bengal of India.The central issue of this study was to assess the tendency of community participation for the conservation of ecotourism sites and find the optimum condition for offering participatory labour time.This study showed that the participation of young people is high,and the majority of respondents are aware of the importance in protecting ecotourism sites.Because respondents were too poor to offer money,the contingent valuation method(CVM)was used to elicit their willingness to pay(WTP)participatory labour time for the conservation of ecotourism sites.Respondents’age,income,education level,caste,and their perceived environmental quality had significant relationship with their WTP participatory labour time by applying the ordinary least square(OLS)model.It was found that the mean WTP participatory labour time of each respondent in a month is approximately 3.64 h.The significance of this study is that community participation can improve the sense of belonging,trust,and credibility of ecotourism sites,making them more appreciative of the value and protection of these sites.

Evaluation on Non-use Value of Dianchi Lake Wetland Using CVM

[Objective] This study was to analyze the personal Willingness to Pay （WI-P） on the non-use value of Dianchi lake wetland and the influential factors. [Method] Questionnaire was designed according to the Contingent Valuation Method （CVM） to investigate people of different occupations at different ages, based on which the evaluation on non-use value of Dianchi lake wetland was carried out. And the relationship between WTP and social characteristics were analyzed by using non- parametric estimation. [Result] The average WTP on Dianchi lake wetland is 150.03- 217.66 yuan per person every year, and the total WTP is 626-909 million yuan ev- ery year. Age, education and residence of the respondents have remarkable influ- ence on the VVTP. The influence of education level and residence on option value is significant; bequest value is significantly correlated with age; while there is no significant relationship between existence value and social characteristics. [Conclusion] The evaluation on the non-use value of Dianchi lake wetland is important for the scientific development and utilization of wetland resources.

Evaluation of ecosystem supply services and calculation of economic value in Kargil District

Mountain ecosystem provides numerous vital ecosystem services(ESs)to the people residing within or near the mountains worldwide.The mountains provide services such as timber,fibre,fodder,fuelwood,medicine,aesthetic,recreation,ritual,and religion,and many other services that are vital for the maintenance of the ecosystem.The mountains of Barsoo and Tai-Suru regions in Kargil District are much familiar for their ESs supply,and the residents have utilized these services for years.The present study was focused on the provisioning ESs.We used a random sample approach for household selection and data collection regarding the pre-prepared questionnaire;the number of households was obtained from government census data.The primary ESs(identified by more than 40%of the respondents)were assessed through the direct market valuation method.The direct market valuation method produced an overwhelming value,specifically for grazing and fodder services in both regions of the study area.Results showed that grazing service was valued at 482,346.43 USD/a for Barsoo region and 1,458,099.04 USD/a for Tai-Suru region.Similarly,fodder service of Barsoo and Tai-Suru regions corresponded to values of 69,833.61 and 110,886.06 USD/a,respectively.On the other hand,food service of Barsoo and Tai-Suru regions was valued at 2601.04 and 2969.90 USD/a,respectively,and medicinal service was valued at 757.39 and 4430.94 USD/a in Barsoo and Tai-Suru regions,respectively.In addition,the regions were economically backwards,and the resident’s survival and well-being relied on the mountain ESs.Therefore,it is not possible for the residents to pay services replacement costs if the services need to replace by other means.Unfortunately,such mountain ecosystem is highly prone to climate change and other human activities that would negatively impact the ecosystem functions.Therefore,this study would be helpful for the policymakers of the region to draft any developmental plan/framework by integrating the value of ESs that would be the key to achieving sustainable development.

Economic Valuation of Environmental Services： Increasing the Effectiveness of PES Schemes in Developing Countries？

Payments for ecosystem service （PES） schemes have spread all over developing countries in the last 20 years or so. PES schemes often have high opportunity costs in terms of foregone uses of goods and services offered by the environment. It is within this scope that economic evaluation of environmental goods and services plays a role. In this paper we surveyed articles and studies that report application of economic environmental valuation procedures in PES schemes. Special attention was paid to data collection and analysis, to theoretical robustness of its procedures and to the aggregation of estimated value. We also scrutinize how these estimates had been incorporated into PES schemes, in particularly in the assessment phase of these schemes. Empirical data from Brazil and other Latin American countries were used, particularly those in the Amazon Basis. Our results reveal a frequent overestimation of the values of ecosystem services calculated through the use of economic valuation methods. Values have been estimated by production function methods （opportunity cost, preventive expenditures, recovering cost or dose-response methods）. As a consequence, estimated values reflect much more willingness to accept compensation by supplier and rarely willingness to pay by consumer of these ecosystem services. Besides this distance between supply and demand, application of valuation methods did not account for problems such as uncertainty, risks, and lack of information. All these limitations have led to wrong decision-making.

An Application of ＇Willingness to Pay＇ Method as a Quantifier for Environmental Impact Assessment

The preservation/restoration of natural environment is frequently entailing excessive cost （paid by people through taxation） while it is a source of additional income for both, the State and the people, due to tourism. Since the evaluation of this good cannot be in market terms, it is applied here in a modified version of the CVM （Contingent Valuation Method）, which is used in experimental economics in order to investigate the significance that people put on this good and how much they might be WTP （Willing to Pay） for supporting activities concerning the preservation/restoration of Lake Kastoria. The WTP dependence on （i） external diseconomies; （ii） the expectations for property values＇ rise as a result of the restoration; （iii） the proximity of interviewees＇ residence to the lake; （iv） the opinion of the interviewee on the time and money spent to visit the lake; （v） the time and money the interviewees spent to visit the lake, as well as other dependencies （all taken as independent variables） are estimated by means oflogit, probit, logistic and linear regression models. The optimal concentration Copt of a pollutant in the environment can be determined as an equilibrium point in the tradeoff between （i） environmental cost, due to impact on man/ecosystem/economy; and （ii） economic cost for environmental protection, as it can be expressed by Pigouvian tax. These two conflict variables are internalized within the same techno-economic objective function of total cost, which is minimized. In this work, the first conflict variable is represented by a WTP index. A methodology is developed for the estimation of this index by using fuzzy sets to count for uncertainty. Implementation of this methodology is presented, concerning odor pollution of air round an olive pomace oil mill.

Valuation of the External Cost Caused by the Environmental Pollution of Three Lakes in Northern Greece

The preservation/restoration of natural environment is usually entailing high cost mostly paid by citizens through taxes.The effect of these taxes is double. The direct effect is the obvious additional income for the State, and the indirect effect is anadditional income for the citizen, due to increasing tourism. Since the evaluation of this good cannot be in market terms, authorsapply a modified CVM （Contingent Valuation Method）, which is part of Experimental Economics, in order to find out the order ofconcern that people have about natural environment. Authors also, try to investigate their WTP （Willingness To Pay） for supportingactivities for preservation/restoration of three lakes in Northern Greece, in particular, lake of Ioannina, lake of Florina and lake ofKastoria. For the purpose of this research, authors use parametric and non-parametric approaches, as well as Linear Regression andLogic Models.

Residents’ Willingness to Pay for Improving Air Quality in Jinan, China

Along with the progress of urbanization and environ- mental deterioration, residents’ desire for improved air quality is increasing. In order to quantify an individual’s willingness-to-pay (WTP) for improved air quality in Jinan of eastern China, a contingent valuation method (CVM) was employed. A sample of 1,500 residents was chosen on the basis of multistage sampling methods with face-to-face interviews by using a series of hypo-thetical, open-ended scenario questions which were designed to elicit the respondents’ WTP. Results showed that 59.7% of respondents were able to express their WTP and the mean WTP is 100 Chinese Yuan (CNY) per person per year. A probit model on the probability of a positive WTP and a regression model were developed to find the relationship between endogenous variables and WTP. Most parameters in the econometric analysis had the expected sign. Annual household income and expenditure on treating respiratory diseases significantly influence WTP. The rates of positive WTP and the monetary amount are larger for men than for women. Results also showed that people who lived in more polluted areas were willing to pay more for clean air. Unlike developed countries, clean air may only be considered as a public good in China in that more than 40% of respondents had no incen- tive to bear the costs of attempting to achieve better air quality, which indicates the relatively low environmental consciousness.

Assessing the externalities of a ski resort in Tzoumerka:willingness to pay in order to promote or to prevent its construction

The present study aims to assess the externalities of a ski resort,that is planned to be built at Tzoumerka mountains,in Greece.The research relies on the Contingent Valuation method,which indirectly estimates the economic value of environmental and other nonmarket assets,based on the expressed preferences of members of a social group.The investigation was based on primary data.The core idea of questionnaire’s design,is subject to the use of a double WTP(willingness to pay)question,aiming at the monetary assessment of the attitude of the residents,regarding the upcoming infrastructure project,taking into account both its positive and its negative externalities.Depending on the attitude of the survey respondents,they were asked to decide if they wish to offer an amount of money either to promote or to prevent the construction of the ski resort.Parametric and non-parametric models were then applied in order to calculate in economic terms the expressed opinion of the respondents.The primary question to be answered is whether the willingness to build the ski resort holds a higher economic value than the desire to prevent it.According to the results of the survey,the vast majority of residents(92.4%)supported the idea of building the ski resort,projecting their apparent desire for the tourist and economic development of the area.The reinforcement of the construction idea of the project was estimated on average at €378,200.The very low proportion of the participants who disagreed with the project(5%),did not allow the economic assessment of its prevention,leaving room for further research into the application of Contingent Valuation method and its contribution in cost-benefit analysis and decision making,regarding upcoming projects.

Farmers' Willingness-to-Pay for Environment and Human Health and Adoption of IPM

Although chemical control of pests increases crop production, it brings a lot of damage to environment and human health. There exist a number of alternative methods that are not so harmful to environment and human health. However, whether and how much in extent these technologies adopted are plausible depends on the comparison of benefit-cost between chemical control and the alternative control methods (such as Integrated Pest Management, IPM) and farmers' willingness-to-pay (WTP) for envirorment and human health. Using contingent valuation method (CVM), the author investigates farmers' WTP for environment and human health, recognizes the factors influencing WTP, and accordingly points out the importance of pest control technology extension and government regulation of pesticides.

Evaluating Value of Natural Landscapes in China

Natural landscapes consist of the natural substances, environment, and phenomena, all of which provide many benefits to people, including a sense of place, sightseeing, relaxing, and recuperating. However, the economic value of natural landscapes has only been recognized in recent decades, and the resulting large-scale decline and degradation of ecosystems now severely threatens the sustainable provision of their services to society. There is an emerging consensus that natural capital should be incorporated into the current socioeconomic accounting system. Many studies valuated natural resources at local and regional scales, but there are very few empirical studies at a national level. To provide a benchmark for natural landscape management on a national scale, we use the travel cost method(TCM) and the contingent valuation method(CVM) to determine the economic value and the spatial distribution of natural landscapes across China. Our results show that the total economic value of China′s natural landscape was 9.75 × 10^(11) U.S. dollars(USD) in 2012. Of this value, the highest proportion was in the eastern and southwestern regions of China, which accounts for 23.7% and 18.3%, respectively. The provinces of Guangdong, Sichuan, Yunnan, Inner Mongolia, and Heilongjiang were the top five in terms of the largest number of natural landscapes and largest economic values. Together, these five provinces accounted for 32.9% of the total number of natural landscapes and 29.4% of the total economic value in 2012. We believe this study will increase awareness of the value of natural landscapes, and more importantly provide a scientific basis for resolving conflicts between development and resource conservation.

Measuring benefits of rural-to-urban water transfer:a case study from Puyang River basin,China

Agriculture-to-urban water transfer is currently an important measure to meet the increasing water demand resulting from rapid industrialization and urbanization in China.Measuring benefits of agriculture-to-urban water transfer is critical to assess water transfer proposals,and it can also provide reliable basis for redistributing the benefits of agriculture-to-urban water transfer.This paper has developed a comprehensive framework in which production function approach is applied to quantify the value of water use in agricultural and industrial sectors,and contingent valuation method is employed to investigate the value of water use in municipal consumption and ecological environment.A case study from Zhuji City in China verified the feasibility and validity of the method proposed in the paper.Results indicate that the agriculture-to-urban water transfer increases the water value created by improving allocation efficiency of water use in different sectors.The benefits of agriculture-to-urban water transfer mainly originate from the fact that the economic value in industrial water use is higher than in the other sectors’water use.Meanwhile,the urban residents have a stronger desire to improve the water eco-environment which leads to higher water value in urban area.