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Estimating the economic value of viewing griffon vultures Gyps fulvus: a Travel Cost Model study at Gamla Nature Reserve, Israel

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 October 2005

Nir Becker ,
Moshe Inbar ,
Ofer Bahat ,
Yael Choresh ,
Gil Ben-Noon  and
Omer Yaffe
Nir Becker
Affiliation:
Department of Economics and Management, Tel-Hai College, Upper Galilee, 12210, Israel Natural Resources and Environmental Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa, 31905, Israel
Moshe Inbar
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental & Evolutionary Biology, University of Haifa, Haifa, 31905, Israel
Ofer Bahat
Affiliation:
Birds of Prey Research and Conservation Project, Israel Nature Reserves and Parks Authority and The Society for Protection of Nature in Israel, 24 Haoranim St., Zichron-Yaakov, 30900, Israel
Yael Choresh
Affiliation:
Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Haifa, Haifa, 31905, Israel
Gil Ben-Noon
Affiliation:
Gamla Nature Reserve, Israel Nature Reserves and Parks Authority, P.O. Box 70, Katzrin, 12900, Israel
Omer Yaffe
Affiliation:
Department of Economics and Management, Tel-Hai College, Upper Galilee, 12210, Israel
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Abstract

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The proper valuation of non-market environmental commodities such as wildlife viewing has significant policy implications. We implemented the Travel Cost Method (TCM) to estimate the value of viewing threatened Eurasian griffon vulture Gyps fulvus by the public at Gamla Nature Reserve, northern Israel. We used the zonal TCM, where concentric zones were defined around the site such that the cost of travel from all points in a given zone was approximately constant. We generated a visit-distance function and used it, based on 143 questionnaires, to derive the demand function for the site from which a monetary value could be estimated. The potential annual benefit of Gamla was estimated to be NIS 5.5–6.0 million (USD 1.1–1.2 million). The annual economic value of Gamla to the visiting public is approximately five times higher than the current revenue, and 85% of the visitors to Gamla came to view vultures. This information can be used to estimate the benefits of further investment in Gamla Nature Reserve, to price this site according to demand if there are budget limits, and in particular to invest in the protection of vultures and other threatened species.

Keywords

Gamla Nature Reservegriffon vultureGyps fulvusnon-market goodsTravel Cost Methodwildlife viewing
Type
Articles
Information
Oryx , Volume 39 , Issue 4 , October 2005 , pp. 429 - 434
Copyright
2005 Fauna & Flora International

Footnotes

This paper contains supplementary material that can only be found online at http://journals.cambridge.org
Supplementary material: PDF

Becker Supplementary material

Appendix.pdf

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