Geotourism
Mohammad Khodaverdizadeh; sadegh Khalilian; Babollah Hayati
Volume 19, Issue 52 , June 2015, , Pages 85-111
Abstract
According to change global approach of protected areas management plan in relation to tourist attraction in order to fund this areas, the aim of this study was to determine the Outdoor Recreation value of Saint Stephanus church one of the famous churches of Marakan Protected Area thatlocated ...
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According to change global approach of protected areas management plan in relation to tourist attraction in order to fund this areas, the aim of this study was to determine the Outdoor Recreation value of Saint Stephanus church one of the famous churches of Marakan Protected Area thatlocated in boarder between East and West Azerbaijan Province. Estimating the outdoor recreation value of this church can be effective in foresighting the needs, eliminating the shortages, and developing of tourism. The objectives of this study were to estimate outdoor recreation Value of Saint Stephanus Church with Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) and separation of influential factors on visitors' willingness to pay (WTP) using Heckman two-stage model. Required data was gathered through questionnaires and face-to-face interviews with 321 visitors of the church in 2013. Results showed that 52% of the visitors were willing to pay money for visiting the church. Variables of income, education levels, family size, and sexuality were effective in visitors' WTP acceptance, and variables of income, family size, education level, age and the Visitor satisfaction from amenities were effective in the rates of WTP. The average of WTP and the annual outdoor recreation value of Saint Stephanus Church was estimated at about 2445 Rials and 317 million Rials, respectively. Therefore, with respect to the great importance and value of Saint Stephanus Church from the view point of visitors, will required that planners to have more attention to this area for tourism development and increasing the number of tourists with increasing facilities and the financing of Marakan protected area and other protected areas.
Hosein Raheli; Rahim Heidari; Mohammad Khodaverdizadeh
Volume 17, Issue 44 , September 2013, , Pages 95-117
Abstract
After oil industry, tourism makes revenues as the second world’s economy for many countries. Tourism today not only has become the world's largest and most widespread industry, but one inseparable from the needs of mankind contemporary life. Protection of natural resources as a major ecotourism ...
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After oil industry, tourism makes revenues as the second world’s economy for many countries. Tourism today not only has become the world's largest and most widespread industry, but one inseparable from the needs of mankind contemporary life. Protection of natural resources as a major ecotourism capital faced challenges because most people think of the natural resources has free. Therefore, assessment of environmental resources and ecotourism areas for economic policy and strategic decisions should be considered important as the principles of tourism development. Asiabkharbe waterfall in Jolfa city being located in East Azerbaijan province is considered as one of the most attractive tourism destinations in regional level. Present paper attempts to determine and estimate the recreational value of this ecotourism attraction by using contingent valuation method (CVM) and reviews the factors affecting willingness to pay (WTP) by logit model. The results show that 68 percent of visitors are willing to paying for visiting this ecotourism destination and the amount proposed, education, income, satisfaction, family size, age and gender are the most important factors in WTP, and on the other hand, average willingness to pay per visitor is 4000 Rials and annual recreational value of this ecotourism attraction is 380,000,000 Rials. Planners should give more attention to develop tourism and enhance the welfare of visitors to the Asiyabkharabe waterfall, according to high value and importance of this waterfall.
