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Estimating the Impact of Impaired Visibility on the Demand for Visits to National Parks

Author

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  • Neelam C. Poudyal

    (Natural Resource Recreation & Tourism, Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 East Green Street, Athens, GA 30605, USA)

  • Bamadev Paudel

    (Nepal Rastra Bank, Baluwatar, Kathmandu, Nepal)

  • Gary T. Green

    (Natural Resource Recreation & Tourism, Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA)

Abstract

The authors fitted a number of time-series econometric models to monthly visitation data of a national park to examine the effect of impaired visibility on visitation demand. Using a polynomial distributed lag model, the long-run elasticity of demand with respect to visibility in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GSMNP) was estimated. The GSMNP, the most visited national park in the USA, has significant air quality issues. Although the park has observed some fluctuation in visitation, the results indicate that the demand for visitation in general and for specific recreational visits are mean reverting and highly stable. Further, park visitation in a given month is significantly affected by the cumulative effect of the visibility condition in both the current and preceding months. Estimated elasticity reveals that a programme aiming to improve the average visibility by 10% (5.5 km) from the current level could result in an increase of roughly one million recreational visits annually, and that the increase would be higher for overnight visitors than for day visitors because of overnight visitors' relatively elastic demand. This demand model could assist park managers in their planning as they weigh the anticipated benefits of a visibility improvement programme against increased visitation and its associated costs.

Suggested Citation

  • Neelam C. Poudyal & Bamadev Paudel & Gary T. Green, 2013. "Estimating the Impact of Impaired Visibility on the Demand for Visits to National Parks," Tourism Economics, , vol. 19(2), pages 433-452, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:toueco:v:19:y:2013:i:2:p:433-452
    DOI: 10.5367/te.2013.0204
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Edward R. Morey & William S. Breffle & Pamela A. Greene, 2001. "Two Nested Constant-Elasticity-of-Substitution Models of Recreational Participation and Site Choice: An ‘Alternatives’ Model and an ‘Expenditures’ Model," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 83(2), pages 414-427.
    2. Christopher R. McIntosh & Neil Wilmot, 2011. "An Empirical Study of the Influences of Recreational Park Visitation: The Case of US National Park Service Sites," Tourism Economics, , vol. 17(2), pages 425-435, April.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Zhang, Ning & Ren, Ran & Zhang, Qiong & Zhang, Tao, 2020. "Air pollution and tourism development: An interplay," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    3. Wei Zhang & Ziqiang Liu & Yujie Zhang & Elly Yaluk & Li Li, 2021. "The Impact of Air Quality on Inbound Tourist Arrivals over China Based on Grey Relational Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-19, October.
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    10. Boyang Xu & Daxin Dong, 2020. "Evaluating the Impact of Air Pollution on China’s Inbound Tourism: A Gravity Model Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-21, February.
    11. Leask, Anna, 2016. "Visitor attraction management: A critical review of research 2009–2014," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 334-361.
    12. Jongsik Yu & Kyeongheum Lee & Antonio Ariza-Montes & Alejandro Vega-Muñoz & Heesup Han, 2021. "How Do Air Quality Issues Caused by Particulate Matter Affect Consumers’ Emotional Response to Tourism Destinations and Willingness to Visit?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-13, October.
    13. Phisek Srinamphon & Sainatee Chernbumroong & Korrakot Yaibuathet Tippayawong, 2022. "The Effect of Small Particulate Matter on Tourism and Related SMEs in Chiang Mai, Thailand," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-9, July.

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