1. The price we pay: Ecotourism’s
contribution to conservation
Corrie Haley
Department of Environmental and Natural Resources
Economics, University of Rhode Island
2. Ecotourism
n Relatively new concept
n Responsible travel to natural areas
n Sustains the local culture
n Contribute to conservation
n (Lindberg 2001)
n Why Costa Rica?
n ~5% biodiversity
n Wide range of ecosystems
3. Conservation
n Sensible and careful use of
natural resources
n Includes
n environmental education
n land purchase
n land protection
n legal actions
n (Hunter 2002)
4. Purpose
The purpose of this investigation
was to determine whether the
revenue from ecotourism
activities is being spent on
conservation of the Cloud
Forest in Monteverde, Costa
Rica.
5. Methods
n Study Site
n Monteverde, Costa Rica
n Survey
n Tourists (40)
n Ecotourism
Companies(3), Reserves
(2) & Monteverde
Conservation League
n Contingent Choice
Method
6. Contingent Choice Method
Example
8. Of the two options, which would you be most likely to choose?
Forest A: A well protected old growth and partially regenerated forest,
with a dense canopy, numerous species of birds, monkeys, lizards as well
as other small vertebrates and invertebrates. Prior to entering the forest
you are educated as to what you may see, which of the dirt trails to use
and general “forest etiquette”. For this experience you will have to pay
an entrance fee of $______.
YES NO
Forest B: A mixture of old growth forest and regenerated forest, with a
dense canopy at times, many birds of the same species, some monkeys,
and a few other small vertebrates and invertebrates. After paying your
entrance fee of $_____, you enter the wide, paved trails with a map of
the reserve.
YES NO
8. Ecotourism’s contribution
18,000, 9%
40,000, 20%
60,000, 30%
78,000, 39%
4,000, 2%
1,000, 0%
SECFR
Sky Walk Sky Trek
MCFR
Santuario Ecologico
SelvaTura
Monteverde Conservation League
Yearly Distribution of Visitors in the Zone
9. Where are tourists spending their money?
$0
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
$60
$70
$80
Souvenirs Transportation Hotel Ecotourism Activities Meals
How money is being
spent in Monteverde
Amount spent
($)
Average amount of money spent by tourists in Monteverde, Costa Rica
between 10/26/2006 and 11/14/2006.
10. 16%
8%
14%
1%
31%
30%
SelvaTura
Sky Walk & Sky Trek
Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve
Ecological Farm
Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve
Other
What Ecotourism Activities are Tourists
Participating in?
Number of visitors who participate
in ecotourism activities and
reserves that are visited in
Monteverde, Costa Rica between
10/26/2006 and 11/14/2006.
11. Tourists willingness to pay
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
A B
Reserve Described
Number of Respondents
Yes
No
The number of respondents who were
willing to pay a given entrance fee for the
hypothetical reserve described in the
tourist survey.
12. Where is the money going?
n The majority of the money is being spent on hotels (~US$68)
n Ecotourism activities are a close second with an average of (~US$60)
n Contributors
n Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (60%)
n Santa Elena Reserve
n Monteverde Conservation League – BEN (~100%)
n Non-Contributors (Greenwashers)
n SelvaTura
n Sky Walk Sky Trek
n Tourists willing to contribute
n 87.5% of the tourists were willing to pay for a well protected forest
13. Proposition for the future
n 97.5% tourists would
readily pay US$1, if
they were
guaranteed that it
would be contributed
to conservation
efforts.
n Voluntary ecotax
n Children’s Eternal
Rainforest
14. Three years after my
study, we are
experiencing an
economic recession…
15. …What will be the
impacts on ecotourism in
Monteverde, Costa Rica?
