WILLINGNESS TO PAY TO CONSERVE THE RECREATIONAL SERVICE OF CONDOR FLIGHT AT COLCA CANYON, PERU

Abstract

The aim of this study is to estimate the environmental economic value of conserving condor flight at Colca Canyon, the only tourist experience of its kind in the world. The Andean condor is a land-based bird with the largest wingspan in the South America, yet it is endangered in Peru and vulnerable worldwide. Using the stated preference choice experiment (CE) method and the conditional logit model estimated via SPSS with a Cox regression, a survey was administered to visitors to Colca Canyon to determine their willingness to pay (WTP) for the conservation of recreation services related to condor flight over the canyon. The CE method can estimate the non-use value (existence value), as well as the use value. Of the domestic and foreign visitors surveyed at the Cruz del Cóndor viewpoint, 67% expressed a willingness to pay for condor conservation in the canyon. Domestic tourists who were not willing to pay stated that the Autonomous Authority of Colca should use the proceeds of tourism for conservation. From the Cox regression, we calculated a total willingness to pay of 18.09 soles (US$4.82) per visitor to conserve the flight of the Andean condor over Colca Canyon. The marginal WTP for the “condor value” and “condor flight over the canyon” attributes were 7.80 soles and 7.21 soles (US$2.08 and US$1.92), respectively. The estimated WTP entails the conservation of the Peruvian natural capital and can help policymakers achieve Sustainable Development Goal 15 by curbing the extinction of the condor, while boosting the livelihoods of the inhabitants of Colca Valley through sustainable ecotourism.