Tourists’ willingness to pay for biodiversity conservation and environment protection, Dalai Lake protected area: Implications for entrance fee and sustainable management

To prepare guidelines for possible increases in entrance fees and efficient sustainable management of the Dalai Lake Protected Area (DLPA) in northeast China, the tourists’ willingness to pay (WTP) for biodiversity conservation and environmental protection of the DLPA and the factors influencing the WTP were studied. Our findings may also be applicable to management of marine protected areas (MPAs). The data were collected from questionnaires, and the WTP was estimated using the contingent valuation method (CVM). A survey of 2000 randomly chosen tourists in the DLPA was conducted. To establish the relationship between the variables and the WTP, three logit and probit models for evaluating the probability of a positive WTP were constructed. The key findings were as follows: (1) The majority of the respondents (73.6%) were willing to accept a higher entrance fee for the purpose of biodiversity conservation and environmental protection, whereas the remaining 26.4% were unwilling to pay a higher entrance fee. The most common explanation given for the unwillingness to pay was that it was the government’s responsibility to protect biodiversity and the environment. (2) Income level and the awareness of being in a PA were the most significant predictors of the tourists’ WTP (p < 0.01). The educational level and the institutional trust were also significant predictors of the tourists’ WTP (p < 0.05). (3) The median WTP was 71.08 RMB ($ 10.72) (Exchange rates at the time of the study: $ 1 = 6.63 RMB), and the current entrance fee represented 28.14% of this WTP. (4) Based on our findings, an entrance fee of 50 RMB ($ 7.54) is recommended, and the probability and advantages of a higher entrance fee are analyzed and discussed.