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Authors
Country
Spatial Scale
Ecosystem     Category
Valuation Subject
Ecosystem stock valued
Ecosystem Service Category
Ecosystem Service Valued
Valuation Method
Types of values estimated

MARINE VALUATION FICHE

BASIC DATA

Title
On the relationship between quality, users’ perception and economic valuation in NW Mediterranean beaches
Authors
Ariza, Eduard, Ramon Ballester, Ricard Rigall-I-Torrent, Albert Saló, Elisabet Roca, Miriam Villares, José A. Jiménez & Rafael Sardá
Reference
Ocean & Coastal Management 63: 55-66
Year
2012
Aim of the Study
Methodological test; Policy assessment
Key Words
[Ours]: Travel Cost Method; Hedonic Price; Spain; tourism; recreation; beach quality
Link (from ENTRY ID)
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OBJECT OF VALUATION

Region
Mediterranean (west)
Country
Spain
Location
Sta Cristina
Spatial Scale
Local
Ecosystem category
Coastal
Valuation Subject
Beach quality
Ecosystem Service Valued
Recreation [evaluated]
Ecosystem Service Category
Cultural service
Ecosystem stock valued
Sandy beach

METHODOLOGICAL DESIGN

Valuation Method Used
Travel Cost
Valuation Measure
Transportation costs, costs for parking near the beach, and the opportunity cost; CS
Payment Vehicle
No

RESULTS

Type of Values Estimated
Direct use value
Monetary estimates
Summer travel cost (€/user): 19.4 Yearly travel cost (€/user): 10.4
Currency
Euro (€)
Currency's reference year
2005
Equivalent to 2012 Euro
Summer travel cost (€/user): 25.48 Yearly travel cost (€/user): 13.66
Aggregate results (in Reference Year)
Consumer surplus (€) of users at the peak of beach use in summer season: 25,064.8

ABSTRACT

The relationships between two traditional economic valuation methods, Travel Cost Method (TCM) and Hedonic Prices (HPs) are tested in a sun-and-beach tourist-oriented area in the Northwestern Mediterranean coast in order to appraise/value beach integral quality and its attributes. Traditional economic methods do not seem to capture the aggregate quality of beaches, although this study has shown that positive relationships were found between HP and integral beach quality. Instead, these methods are more (positively) related to specific aspects such as Services and Facilities Quality, Natural Conditions Quality (dune system development) and Access and Parking Quality. The results of this study show that these methods do not sufficiently value beach social-ecological resources at the study site. In this paper we also compared users’ economic beach valuation (using TCM and HP) with the expenditure on general maintenance and sediment management by local managers. The results show an important gap between investments made by managers (less than 1 million €/year) and users’ economic valuation (more than 1 million €/day at the peak of the season). These results suggest the feasibility of establishing a beach management tax for beach-related economic activities that could be used to improve the weakest aspects of beach management in the region.