A Study on the value of preserving a parasitic volcanic sieve as a tourism good for sustainable management: Using the contingent valuation method

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to estimate the economic value of Geomun Oreum (GO), a parasitic volcanic sieve, for sustainable management by using the dichotomous choice contingent valuation method. To address the exaggeration tendency of willingness to pay (WTP), the contingent valuation method's (CVM's) traditional threshold, respondents' WTP answers were reconfirmed to screen only true responses for our analysis. In addition to estimating the economic value, the causal relationship between the tour guide's quality of explanation and the respondents' payment intention is examined in the study. The results reveal that the estimated preservation value of GO is 35,881 KRW (33.28 USD), and the quality of the tour guide's narrative is statistically related to the respondents' payment intention.