Estimating the Consumer Surplus and Recreational Value of Lal Suhanra Park: A Travel Cost Approach
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18666/JPRA-2025-12935Keywords:
Lal Suhanra Park; recreational value; consumer surplus; travel cost; count modelsAbstract
Lal Suhanra National Park is an important site providing habitat to a variety of species and recreational benefits to visitors. However, the park is under severe threat from different sources and requires effective and immediate protective actions. The present study has been designed to estimate the recreational value of the park by computing consumer surplus and factors affecting the demand function of the park. Using systematic random sampling, a sample of 384 respondents visiting Lal Suhanra Park was interviewed. For this purpose, every sixth individual entering the park gate was interviewed to collect required information. Travel cost method was used to estimate the recreational value of Lal Suhanra Park. The results are estimated by using zero-truncated negative binomial model, as count data models are commonly used in travel cost methods because of the non-negative nature of the dependent variable. For this purpose, Poisson regression was the starting point because it assumes equidispersion in mean and variance. But overdispersion in the data makes it inappropriate and biased to use Poisson regression. So, the present study found the Zero Truncated Negative Binomial model more suitable to estimate results. The results show that consumer surplus/person/visit based on the zero-truncated negative binomial model is US$ 10.78. Findings of the study indicate that an increase in income leads to an increase in number of trips to Lal Suhanra Park. Increases in family size, education, distance, and travel costs lead to decreases in the number of trips. The study shows a large gap between the willingness to pay an entrance fee of PKR 30 and flow of consumer surplus. The study suggests that keeping in view the large amount of consumer surplus and recreational value, park facilities may be improved. The government may consider applying an entrance fee to be used for the sustainable development of the park. This study's recommendations can be useful for designing strategies to sustain the recreational value of the park.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Sagamore Publishing LLC (hereinafter the “Copyright Owner”)
Journal Publishing Copyright Agreement for Authors
PLEASE REVIEW OUR POLICIES AND THE PUBLISHING AGREEMENT, AND INDICATE YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE TERMS BY CHECKING THE ‘AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS COPYRIGHT NOTICE’ CHECKBOX BELOW.
I understand that by submitting an article to Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, I am granting the copyright to the article submitted for consideration for publication in Journal of Park and Recreation Administration to the Copyright Owner. If after consideration of the Editor of the Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, the article is not accepted for publication, all copyright covered under this agreement will be automatically returned to the Author(s).
THE PUBLISHING AGREEMENT
Assignment of Copyright
I hereby assign to the Copyright Owner the copyright in the manuscript I am submitting in this online procedure and any tables, illustrations or other material submitted for publication as part of the manuscript in all forms and media (whether now known or later developed), throughout the world, in all languages, for the full term of copyright, effective when the article is accepted for publication.
Reversion of Rights
Articles may sometimes be accepted for publication but later be rejected in the publication process, even in some cases after public posting in “Articles in Press” form, in which case all rights will revert to the Author.
Retention of Rights for Scholarly Purposes
I understand that I retain or am hereby granted the Retained Rights. The Retained Rights include the right to use the Preprint, Accepted Manuscript, and the Published Journal Article for Personal Use and Internal Institutional Use.
All journal material is under a 12 month embargo. Authors who would like to have their articles available as open access should contact gbates@sagamorepub.com for further information.
In the case of the Accepted Manuscript and the Published Journal Article, the Retained Rights exclude Commercial Use, other than use by the author in a subsequent compilation of the author’s works or to extend the Article to book length form or re-use by the author of portions or excerpts in other works.
Published Journal Article: the author may share a link to the formal publication through the relevant DOI.
Author Representations
- The Article I have submitted to the journal for review is original, has been written by the stated author(s) and has not been published elsewhere.
- The Article was not submitted for review to another journal while under review by this journal and will not be submitted to any other journal.
- The Article contains no libelous or other unlawful statements and does not contain any materials that violate any personal or proprietary rights of any other person or entity.
- I have obtained written permission from copyright owners for any excerpts from copyrighted works that are included and have credited the sources in the Article.
- If the Article was prepared jointly with other authors, I have informed the co-author(s) of the terms of this Journal Publishing Agreement and that I am signing on their behalf as their agent, and I am authorized to do so.