Tourist Levies and Willingness to Pay for a Whale Shark Experience

Derrin Davis and Clement Tisdell
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Derrin Davis: Graduate Research College, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157, Lismore, NSW 2480. Australia

Tourism Economics, 1999, vol. 5, issue 2, 161-174

Abstract: Swimming with whale sharks has become popular in the waters of Ningaloo Marine Park, Western Australia, since 1993. The Park is one of very few known and accessible places in the world where whale sharks congregate on a regular and predictable basis. Consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) to participate in the whale shark experience, and their willingness to contribute financially to the management of the resource might be important to the long-term sustainability of the industry. The Western Australian Department of Conservation and Land Management levies tourist operators A$15 per passenger per day, and uses the funds collected for research, management and education about whale sharks. Surveys were undertaken to determine the willingness of participants to pay for their whale shark experience and to pay the levy. WTP for the experience was slightly below the amounts actually paid, while Japanese tourists indicated a lower WTP than did other tourists. Respondents indicated WTP a significantly higher levy than is presently charged ( t = –10.99, p

Date: 1999
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:toueco:v:5:y:1999:i:2:p:161-174

DOI: 10.1177/135481669900500203

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