Impacts of boating trip limitations on the recreational value of the Spreewald wetland: a pooled revealed/contingent behaviour application of the travel cost method

Abstract

Few studies have been conducted to date on the importance of water availability (in-stream flows, water levels) for demand for a recreation site in Europe. In this paper we combine data on actual trips taken to a site (revealed behaviour) with data on anticipated trips that are stated as a response to hypothetical scenarios constructed for survey respondents (contingent behaviour). We combine these two sources of data in order to assess whether, and to what extent, the maintenance of minimum in-stream flows for boating matter in demand for trips to a wetland recreation site. The data from the on-site survey are used to estimate an aggregate count data travel cost model. Our findings indicate that variations in navigability significantly affect demand and associated welfare measures.