title: Funding conservation through use and potentials for price discrimination among scuba divers at Sipadan, Malaysia.
abstract: The protected coral reefs off the coast of Malaysia receive numerous tourists, while also being as fishing grounds. These joint environmental pressures raise the need for additional costly conservation measures. It is natural to consider the potential for expanding the 'user pays' principle, already implemented in the form of various user fees. This study explores the potential for price discrimination among scuba divers at Sipadan in Malaysia. The study applies a choice experiment to estimate scuba divers willingness to pay higher user fees for avoiding decreases of or getting improvements in environmental and recreational aspects of the diving experience. We investigate how sensitivity to fee size and hence willingness to pay vary with suitable selected characteristics of divers. We find potentials for a third degree price discrimination strategy exploiting higher willingness to pay among foreign divers (45%), male divers (16%) and people who has visited Sipadan several times (25%). Thus, revised pricing structures could significantly increase funds for the preservation of Sipadan.
authors: Department of Food and Resource Economics, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 23, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark; Faculty of Forestry, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. Electronic address: diem@ifro.ku.dk.
authors: Diana
authors: D
authors: Emang
authors: Department of Food and Resource Economics, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 23, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark; Centre for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 23, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
authors: Thomas Hedemark
authors: TH
authors: Lundhede
authors: Department of Food and Resource Economics, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 23, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark; Centre for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 23, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
authors: Bo Jellesmark
authors: BJ
authors: Thorsen
mesh_terms: D002755:Choice Behavior; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000191:economics*; D057894:Coral Reefs; D004242:Diving / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D008296:Malaysia; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
keywords: Choice experiment; Fee; Price discrimination policy; SCUBA diving