Valuing beach recreation across a regional area: The Great Barrier Reef in Australia

Abstract

The focus of the research reported in this paper has been to estimate recreation values for beaches over approximately 1400 kilometres of coastline along the Queensland coast. The study is notable at an international level because it assesses recreation values to a general type of recreation asset rather than to a specific site, and because it focuses on the values of the local resident population. Negative binomial models have been used to estimate both the visit rate and recreation values associated with beach visits in different regional areas. The value of a single beach visit was estimated per person at $35.09, which extrapolates to $450 million in beach recreation values per annum. These values are likely to be conservative because opportunity costs incurred to live closer to the beach (e.g. housing premiums) have not been assessed. Contingent behaviour models were used to estimate the values of potential declines in water quality, with marginal effects assessed at $1.30 per recreation trip to avoid each 1% decline in water quality.

Does Participation in Outdoor Activities Determine Residents’ Appreciation of Nature: A Case Study From the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

“…These findings are in line with reports from the USA, where swimming and fishing were also found to be the most frequent water recreation activities (Smardon, 1988). Similarly, in Australia, Rolfe and Gregg (2012) estimated that each adult residing in the GBR area makes approximately 20 visits per year to the beach. Farr (2013) and Farr et al (2014) found that only twenty-one percent of the respondents in North Queensland coastal regions had never been fishing as an adult and 56.3% had not been fishing during the previous two years.…”

“…Similarly, we found that males, residents with higher income, and those with the main household income from fishing and tourism industries, are more likely to participate in outdoor activities related to the GBRWHA; while older people are less likely to participate, in particular to frequently go to islands, reefs, snorkelling, or visiting on a paid boat. Similar to findings of Rolfe and Gregg (2012), beach visitors in our study were more likely to be Indigenous people, those who had achieved a higher education level and earning more, and those employed in the tourism industry. The highest participation in fishing is by single males, Indigenous people, those born in Queensland and of higher income, but less educated, most likely to be employed in the fishing or tourism industries.…”

“…4, No. 3;2014 While a number of studies have sought to estimate the economic value of various recreational activities related to the GBRWHA, such as recreational fishing (Farr, Stoeckl, & Sutton, 2014a;Prayaga, Rolfe, & Stoeckl, 2010), boating (Farr et al, 2014), beach visitation (Rolfe & Gregg, 2012) and whale-watching (Farr, Stoeckl, & Beg, 2014), a significant knowledge gap remains: is participation in outdoor activities associated with resident perceptions' of the importance of natural values to their wellbeing?…”

Tourism impacts on benthic communities of sandy beaches

“…Recreational activities are increasingly observed on sandy beaches, boosting the tourism industry around the world, and urban infra‐structure is essential to attract tourists (Rolfe & Gregg, ). As a consequence of urban occupation, several human activities such as dune vegetation suppression, coastal armoring, beach cleaning and grooming, vehicle traffic and trampling now affect macrofauna communities worldwide (Schlacher et al., ).…”

Response of intertidal sandy-beach macrofauna to human trampling: An urban vs. natural beach system approach

“…The factors that are most valued by visitors to a beach have been identified as beach cleanliness, comfort and safety, good access, parking areas, and good facilities (such as restaurants, bars, boulevard, access to the beach, litter bins, and shower facilities) (Roca and Villares, 2008;Rolfe and Gregg, 2012). Thus, in an effort to promote and support tourism, beach managers initiate infrastructure improvements that transform the beaches into increasingly urbanized areas and such improvements become increasing stressors on these ecosystems.…”