Local visitors’ willingness to pay of entrance fee at Taman Negeri Gunung Stong, Kelantan

Abstract

The forest ecosystem offers plenty of benefits and provisions for the environment and human wellbeing. One of the forest ecosystem’s potential advantages is that it serves as a recreational forest area for tourists. However, most tourist destination faces minimal or raising public support for natural attraction maintenance and management. Hence, managing the recreational forest lacks financial resources to provide and restore adequate recreation facilities. This study aims to determine local visitors’ willingness to pay an entrance fee in Taman Negeri Gunung Strong, Kelantan, Malaysia. A total of 150 respondents who had visited Taman Negeri Gunung Stong has participated in this study. The sampling techniques employed in this study is a probability stratified sampling approach. A contingent valuation method dichotomous choice was performed in this study to elicit the mean value of willingness to pay. The study found that the mean willingness to pay for an additional entrance fee to enter Taman Negeri Gunong Stong is estimated at RM 5.03 per visit. The variable of socioeconomic which is the only income influences the mean value on acceptance of suggested price. The study is proposed that the entrance fee collections can provide support as supplementary funds for the allocations made of management and maintenance costs in Taman Negeri Gunung Stong.

Visitor Willingness to Pay using Travel Cost Method at Taman Negeri Gunung Stong, Kuala Krai, Kelantan

“…They specify why they do not believe the payment will be used for nature conservation, and one considers that it is not his responsibility to pay that entrance fee, as presented in Table 4. A similar study from [7] & [9] showed that respondents are reluctant to pay since they did not understand the value of protecting the natural environment for living and non -living organism's survival. Reason not willing to pay a.…”

“…Third phase: from 1990 to the present, when the region underwent ecotourism development and launched the inaugural Visit Malaysia Year campaign. [7]. In Malaysia, Kelantan is renowned as a state with several natural environmental landmarks and a rich cultural history that supports the sector's development and boosts local income.…”