TY - JOUR
T1 - Complementarity between agriculture and tourism towards sustainability
AU - Zekri, S.
AU - Mbaga, M.
AU - Fouzai, A.
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - The economic valuation of oases has focused almost entirely on marketable agricultural outputs. The role of oases as a provider of positive amenities has not been recognized. In this study, the contingent valuation method was used to estimate visitors' willingness to pay to visit Misfat Al-Abreen mountain oasis for recreation. A Tobit model was used considering a range of socioeconomic and preference variables. Sixty four percent of the visitors indicated their willingness to pay an entrance fee. The average willingness to pay is $ 8.6/visit/group. Oases in Oman are managed by farmers' associations whose responsibilities could be expanded to encompass the collection of entrance fees in Misfat AL-Abreen as the oasis has one single entrance. The collected fees will be used to improve the maintenance of the irrigation infrastructure and provide services to visitors as well as to distribute among farmers based on land/water property. This will encourage landowners to sustain the agricultural activity and enhance the production of environmental services.
AB - The economic valuation of oases has focused almost entirely on marketable agricultural outputs. The role of oases as a provider of positive amenities has not been recognized. In this study, the contingent valuation method was used to estimate visitors' willingness to pay to visit Misfat Al-Abreen mountain oasis for recreation. A Tobit model was used considering a range of socioeconomic and preference variables. Sixty four percent of the visitors indicated their willingness to pay an entrance fee. The average willingness to pay is $ 8.6/visit/group. Oases in Oman are managed by farmers' associations whose responsibilities could be expanded to encompass the collection of entrance fees in Misfat AL-Abreen as the oasis has one single entrance. The collected fees will be used to improve the maintenance of the irrigation infrastructure and provide services to visitors as well as to distribute among farmers based on land/water property. This will encourage landowners to sustain the agricultural activity and enhance the production of environmental services.
KW - Agrotourism
KW - Contingent valuation method
KW - Environmental services
KW - Positive externality
KW - Tobit model
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U2 - 10.3923/ijar.2012.482.493
DO - 10.3923/ijar.2012.482.493
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84873247960
SN - 1816-4897
VL - 7
SP - 482
EP - 493
JO - International Journal of Agricultural Research
JF - International Journal of Agricultural Research
IS - 10
ER -