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A Comparative Analysis of the Pricing Systems of Nature Reserves

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  • Nir Becker

    (Department of Economics and Management, Tel-Hai College, Upper Galilee 12210, Israel)

Abstract

The pricing of nature reserves increases in relevance as budgetary constraints become a limiting factor in their proper operation. The author considers and compares different pricing alternatives for managing nature reserves (NRs) and applies them to two NRs in Israel. He compares four pricing strategies: free entrance, maximum revenue pricing, cost recovery pricing and differential pricing. These strategies were implemented both to the existing situation and to a development scenario in which an upgrade in the NR was considered. The two NRs analysed are the Darga Nature Reserve, an open reserve where no entrance fee is charged, and the Gamla Nature Reserve, a closed reserve where an entrance fee is charged. Benefits were derived using the travel cost method (TCM). The results show that differential pricing is the most cost-effective policy. It recovers costs in both policy scenarios with the least dead-weight loss (DWL). The consequence of the differential pricing, however, is that there is a cross-subsidy of the Gamla reserve of 45–80%, depending on the scenario analysed. It is shown that there are conditions in which only a cross-subsidy can make a development plan sustainable. Usually, policymakers differentiate pricing according to visitor characteristics. Differential pricing among reserves provides another tool that can be consistent with cost recovery while minimizing DWL. Another advantage is that site differentiating causes less social tension, because pricing is tailored not to a person but to a site.

Suggested Citation

  • Nir Becker, 2009. "A Comparative Analysis of the Pricing Systems of Nature Reserves," Tourism Economics, , vol. 15(1), pages 193-213, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:toueco:v:15:y:2009:i:1:p:193-213
    DOI: 10.5367/000000009787536663
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    Cited by:

    1. Malgorzata Ogonowska & Dominique Torre, 2012. "Sustainable Tourism and the emergence of new Environmental Norms," Post-Print halshs-00726127, HAL.
    2. Voltaire, Louinord, 2012. "Effet d’une taxe et d’un droit d’entrée sur les consentements à payer des touristes pour de nouvelles réserves naturelles dans le golfe du Morbihan," Revue d'Etudes en Agriculture et Environnement, Editions NecPlus, vol. 92(02), pages 183-209, October.
    3. Louinord Voltaire & Abdelhak Nassiri & Denis Bailly & Jean Boncoeur, 2011. "Effet d’une taxe et d’un droit d’entrée sur les consentements à payer des touristes pour de nouvelles réserves naturelles dans le golfe du Morbihan," Review of Agricultural and Environmental Studies - Revue d'Etudes en Agriculture et Environnement, INRA Department of Economics, vol. 92(2), pages 183-209.
    4. Malgorzata Ogonowska & Dominique Torre, 2013. "Residents' Influence on the Adoption of Environmental Norms in Tourism," GREDEG Working Papers 2013-17, Groupe de REcherche en Droit, Economie, Gestion (GREDEG CNRS), Université Côte d'Azur, France.
    5. Malgorzata Ogonowska, 2011. "Sustainable Tourism Products Distribution: Optimal Pricing and Branding Strategies," Post-Print halshs-01219448, HAL.
    6. Francisco López-del-Pino & José M. Grisolía, 2018. "Pricing Beach Congestion," Tourism Economics, , vol. 24(4), pages 449-472, June.
    7. Heagney, E.C. & Rose, J.M. & Ardeshiri, A. & Kovac, M., 2019. "The economic value of tourism and recreation across a large protected area network," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    8. Viteri Mejía, César & Brandt, Sylvia, 2015. "Managing tourism in the Galapagos Islands through price incentives: A choice experiment approach," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 1-11.

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