The contribution of local outdoor recreational services to the sustainable management of environmental resources: the case of Tabor Mountain Recreational Park in Hawassa City, Ethiopia

There has to date been limited research on the economic valuation of local outdoor recreational services to inform policy and practice. This study attempts to fill this gap by estimating the annual recreational value of Tabor Mountain Recreational Park, an open-access recreational site in Hawassa Ci...

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Main Authors: Meselu Tegenie Mellaku, Yoseph Melka, Bamlaku Ayenew, Tirusew Teshale Taye, Abera Tilahun
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2022-12-01
Series:Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15487733.2021.2023291
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author Meselu Tegenie Mellaku
Yoseph Melka
Bamlaku Ayenew
Tirusew Teshale Taye
Abera Tilahun
author_facet Meselu Tegenie Mellaku
Yoseph Melka
Bamlaku Ayenew
Tirusew Teshale Taye
Abera Tilahun
author_sort Meselu Tegenie Mellaku
collection DOAJ
description There has to date been limited research on the economic valuation of local outdoor recreational services to inform policy and practice. This study attempts to fill this gap by estimating the annual recreational value of Tabor Mountain Recreational Park, an open-access recreational site in Hawassa City (also known as Awassa City), Ethiopia. This study employs single-bounded dichotomous choice and open-ended elicitation methods using primary and secondary data collected from 260 urban residents during June–August 2019. A complementary assessment of the determinants of local visitors’ willingness-to-pay (WTP) is also carried out. Descriptive statistics and a binary logistic regression model were used to analyze the survey data. Overall, 87% and 98% of the respondents were willing to accept the initial bid value and to give non-zero maximum WTP, respectively. On average, a local resident makes/intends to make 2.57 visits per month paying a mean entrance fee of ETB 28.33 per visit, which represents approximately ETB 93,498,000 per year. Furthermore, average monthly income and the afternoon visiting-time preference of local visitors had a positive effect on individuals’ WTP. Initial bid value, frequency of visits per month, number of dependent families, and age of local visitors had a negative effect on WTP. The substantial annual local recreational value estimate of Tabor Mountain Park reveals the potential of local financing alternatives for sustainable development and management of environmental resources in similar settings.
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spelling doaj.art-e48fbac88b9b440793e441f63749b25c2022-12-21T23:48:37ZengTaylor & Francis GroupSustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy1548-77332022-12-01181708010.1080/15487733.2021.20232912023291The contribution of local outdoor recreational services to the sustainable management of environmental resources: the case of Tabor Mountain Recreational Park in Hawassa City, EthiopiaMeselu Tegenie Mellaku0Yoseph Melka1Bamlaku Ayenew2Tirusew Teshale Taye3Abera Tilahun4Department of Natural Resource Economics and Policy, Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources, Hawassa UniversityDepartment of Natural Resource Economics and Policy, Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources, Hawassa UniversityDepartment of Natural Resource Economics and Policy, Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources, Hawassa UniversityDepartment of Agricultural Economics, Hawassa UniversityDepartment of Agroforestry, Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources, Hawassa UniversityThere has to date been limited research on the economic valuation of local outdoor recreational services to inform policy and practice. This study attempts to fill this gap by estimating the annual recreational value of Tabor Mountain Recreational Park, an open-access recreational site in Hawassa City (also known as Awassa City), Ethiopia. This study employs single-bounded dichotomous choice and open-ended elicitation methods using primary and secondary data collected from 260 urban residents during June–August 2019. A complementary assessment of the determinants of local visitors’ willingness-to-pay (WTP) is also carried out. Descriptive statistics and a binary logistic regression model were used to analyze the survey data. Overall, 87% and 98% of the respondents were willing to accept the initial bid value and to give non-zero maximum WTP, respectively. On average, a local resident makes/intends to make 2.57 visits per month paying a mean entrance fee of ETB 28.33 per visit, which represents approximately ETB 93,498,000 per year. Furthermore, average monthly income and the afternoon visiting-time preference of local visitors had a positive effect on individuals’ WTP. Initial bid value, frequency of visits per month, number of dependent families, and age of local visitors had a negative effect on WTP. The substantial annual local recreational value estimate of Tabor Mountain Park reveals the potential of local financing alternatives for sustainable development and management of environmental resources in similar settings.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15487733.2021.2023291recreational valuesustainable managementcontingent valuation methodwillingness to paylocal financing alternative
spellingShingle Meselu Tegenie Mellaku
Yoseph Melka
Bamlaku Ayenew
Tirusew Teshale Taye
Abera Tilahun
The contribution of local outdoor recreational services to the sustainable management of environmental resources: the case of Tabor Mountain Recreational Park in Hawassa City, Ethiopia
Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy
recreational value
sustainable management
contingent valuation method
willingness to pay
local financing alternative
title The contribution of local outdoor recreational services to the sustainable management of environmental resources: the case of Tabor Mountain Recreational Park in Hawassa City, Ethiopia
title_full The contribution of local outdoor recreational services to the sustainable management of environmental resources: the case of Tabor Mountain Recreational Park in Hawassa City, Ethiopia
title_fullStr The contribution of local outdoor recreational services to the sustainable management of environmental resources: the case of Tabor Mountain Recreational Park in Hawassa City, Ethiopia
title_full_unstemmed The contribution of local outdoor recreational services to the sustainable management of environmental resources: the case of Tabor Mountain Recreational Park in Hawassa City, Ethiopia
title_short The contribution of local outdoor recreational services to the sustainable management of environmental resources: the case of Tabor Mountain Recreational Park in Hawassa City, Ethiopia
title_sort contribution of local outdoor recreational services to the sustainable management of environmental resources the case of tabor mountain recreational park in hawassa city ethiopia
topic recreational value
sustainable management
contingent valuation method
willingness to pay
local financing alternative
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15487733.2021.2023291
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