Valuation of sea turtle conservation: the case of domestic tourists in Brgy. Urbiztondo, San Juan, La Union

Date

1-2024

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Economics

College

College of Economics and Management (CEM)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Rowena A. Dorado

Committee Member

Jaimie Kim B. Arias, Gideon P. Carnaje, Ma. Angeles O. Catelo

Abstract

The Coastal Underwater Resource Management Actions (CURMA) is a public and private partnership project that protects keystone species that is at risk from predators and poachers. In order to maintain and expand Project CURMA's operations, this study would like to examine the possibility of establishing a funding mechanism that would originate from tourists in La Union. Further, the study aimed to assess the level of awareness of domestic tourists with regards, Brgy. Urbiztondo, San Juan, La Union being a sea turtle nesting site, and impacts of anthropogenic activities in the barangay to the sea turtle; estimate the willingness-to-pay (WTP). The study used the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM), specifically the Single Bounded Dichotomous Choice (SBDC) Method, to estimate the WTP of the domestic tourists. The study analyzed the factors affecting the willingness of tourists to pay and estimated the WTP across four datasets adjusted for different corrections. The logistic regression run results showed that bid amount is negative and significant, while income is positive and significant across all datasets — both complying with the economic theory. This study demonstrates that domestic tourists are willing to pay for sea turtle conservation eliciting a mean WTP range of Php 271.88 to Php 307.29 (using Hanneman’s approach), and a mean WTP range of Php 163.92 to Php 189.58 (using Turnbull Estimator). Further, estimated revenue were also computed using Hanneman’s Approach and Turnbull Estimator, ranging from Php 24,615,684.74 to Php 29,178,166.37, and Php 14,680,211.9 to Php 19,127,294.03, respectively.

Language

English

LC Subject

Valuation, Contingent Valuation, Ecosystem services

Location

UPLB College of Economics and Management (CEM)

Call Number

LG 993.5 2024 E2 D38

Notes

Maria Theresa D. Marcial Best Undergraduate Thesis in Environmental Economics

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Document Type

Thesis

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