National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS)
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PRINT ISSN : 2319-7692 Online ISSN : 2319-7706 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcmas@gmail.com / submit@ijcmas.com Editor-in-chief: Dr.M.Prakash Index Copernicus ICV 2018: 95.39 NAAS RATING 2020: 5.38 |
Kuttanad wetlands and the backwaters of Kerala are well recognised for their tourism amenities at global level. Tourists from across the world visit the backwaters and consume the recreational benefits provided by the ecosystem. It is a public site, offering the aesthetic services on a free of cost basis. This study attempts to estimate the recreational value of the wetland using the travel cost method. The data were collected from a sample of 120 visitors using structured questionnaire. The empirical analysis was done by trip generating function using count data Poisson model. The sign and significance of travel cost variable (-0.0013) was consistent with the economic theory. Other variables which significantly affect the dependent variable are family income and site quality. The consumer surplus per year was estimated to be Rs. 769.23 by finding the absolute value of the reciprocal of the travel cost coefficient. The total recreational value of the wetlands per annum was estimated to be Rs.23.57 crores. This huge value of the recreational benefits emphasizes the need for sustainable management and conservation of the wetlands.
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