ESTIMATING THE RECREATION DEMAND AND ECONOMIC VALUE OF THE BEACH ALONG THE EASTERN COAST OF XIAMEN ISLAND IN CHINA: AN APPLICATION OF TRAVEL COST METHOD

摘要

The aggregate recreational benefits in annual from the beach were RBM$ 4.44 hundred million. The findings are sufficient to demonstrate that the beach as non-market good has considerable economic benefits and the decision determining 'tourism-recreation' as the dominant function of the area made by the government is reasonable. However, the maintenance and increase of such huge benefits depend on the effective management and protection of the coastal environment and the key tourism resource-the beach. Degradation of coastal environment and beach quality could lead to substantial loss in value, which eventually would be reflected in the reduced number of visitor arrivals, shortened lengths of stay, and lowered number of repeat visitors. All these factors translate into lower tourism income. This implies that significant economic benefits will be lost if unreasonable developments proceed in the area. On the other hand, maintaining coastal beaches is an expensive and continuing process so beneficiaries of beach should be obligated to bear some of the burden. Currently, visitors do not pay an access fee to use the beach along the eastern coast of Xiamen Island. If 5% of the benefits from the beach are recovered through the implementation of a user fee for the beach (such as a beach pass), more than 22 million in annual revenue could be obtain from the visitors. It only should pay about 6.5 RMB$ to visit the beach for per visitor per visit that is absolutely acceptable as it is much cheaper than the entry fee of other main scenic spots in Xiamen. The implementation of a user fee for the beach can provide considerable fund for the beach protection, which will be helpful to maintenance and improvement of the beach quality.