What's the Value of Biodiversity?

Information and Discussions on Management Issues in SANParks
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Flutterby
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Re: Concerning new "Survey" from SanParks

Post by Flutterby »

Interesting Toko. \O


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Toko
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Re: Concerning new "Survey" from SanParks

Post by Toko »

NWU study determines the commercial value of the Big Five
A recent study conducted in the Kruger National Park, under the direction of Prof Melville Saayman of the North-West University’s Potchefstroom Campus, has found that tourists visiting this park are prepared to pay more than R3 500 to see the Big Five.
Visitors indicated that they are prepared to pay R1 136,43 to see a leopard, R1 007,17 for a lion, R753,12 for a rhino, R658,91 for an elephant and R498,50 for a buffalo.
The Kruger National Park draws more than a million visitors every year and about 400 000 of these are overnight visitors. The park supports between 300 000 and 600 000 people living in its surrounding areas.
On average, park visitors spend R10 302,21, of which they are prepared to pay R3 569 (or 34,64%) to see the Big Five.
To determine how many tourists are prepared to pay to see the Big Five, an extensive questionnaire was compiled, which included a ‘willingness to pay’ question. The research was done at the Olifants, Letaba, Mopani and Punda Maria rest camps where respondents were randomly approached, after which one person from every tour group or family completed the questionnaire (289 in total).
Although 34% of the respondents felt neutral about the role that the Big Five played in their choice to visit the park, the majority pointed out the Big Five, and the opportunity to see them, as an important role-player in their choice.
An interesting finding was that English speaking people are prepared to pay more to see the Big Five than their Afrikaans speaking counterparts.
Prof Saayman’s study shows for the first time what the non-consumable value of the Big Five is and it seems that the non-consumable value of the Big Five could surpass the consumable value of the species over the long term.
If the average lifespan of a leopard is 15 years and this leopard is viewed by 5 000 tourists per year, the leopard “earned” R85 232 250 in its lifetime for the park. This can have far-reaching consequences for game conservation organisations and private game reserves.
From a marketing point of view, the addition of the Big Five to more parks and private game reserves can be a very attractive lure for potential visitors.
It has been found that nature-based tourism in Southern Africa generates about just as much income as agriculture, water affairs and fisheries, with protected areas one of the fastest growing sectors in the tourism market.
:-? No mention of an online questionnaire. It must be another study -O- within the same tourism research project


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Richprins
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Re: Concerning new "Survey" from SanParks

Post by Richprins »

“The Kruger National Park attracts over a million visitors per year and this income supports between 300 000 and 600 000 people who live in the park’s surrounding areas,”

This is exactly what we've been trying to say...I hope Kruger will now stop moaning that the surrounding communities do not see the value of Kruger! \O

Another load of rubbish scientifically disproven! ^Q^


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Re: Concerning new "Survey" from SanParks

Post by Lisbeth »

No mention of squirrels :-? 0= =O: =O:

A new way of appraising valuables that cannot be estimated 0*\ 0- Better this than not giving them enough value though ;-)


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H. erectus
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Re: Concerning new "Survey" from SanParks

Post by H. erectus »

One million tourists!!!! Gees..

obviously including contractors, drug smugglers
fast food deliveries and poachers.

Holy moly one leopard = R56,666,666.00 annually
X how many leopards in the park?? San parks best
you start breeding leopards at one helluvah rate...


Heh,.. H.e
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Dewi
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Re: Concerning new "Survey" from SanParks

Post by Dewi »

Having the big five makes a difference to the number of visitors you get to your game parks.

In the UK, the re-introduction of White-tailed Eagles on Mull has tripled the Islands economy from tourism. Tourism used to bring in £1.4 million annually, since the re-introduction, wildlife tourism has boosted this to over £5 million a year and is still rising.


Dewi

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Re: Concerning new "Survey" from SanParks

Post by Lisbeth »

That's the country of the mad birders O** =O: =O:


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Re: Concerning new "Survey" from SanParks

Post by Dewi »

There's nothing else to watch Lis, we killed the big predators off centuries ago. 0=


Dewi

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Re: Concerning new "Survey" from SanParks

Post by Richprins »

Toko wrote:

:-? No mention of an online questionnaire. It must be another study -O- within the same tourism research project
I think it's definitely part of the same survey, Toko! \O


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Toko
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Re: Concerning new "Survey" from SanParks

Post by Toko »

These are great findings. =O: It's time to do the sums and determine as objectively as possible the value of my recent trip to South Africa and Swaziland. :shock:

:-? I count only sightings, not the number of animals.

The Big Five count during my trip:

Image

:shock: :shock: :shock:

And the cost of the trip (per Western nose) was less than half of that. -O That's good value for money, hey O\/ O\/ O\/ O\/ And we got all the sightings of the other species for free O:V .

I am so happy to know I had to pay only half of the average price O/\ O/\ O/\ . And everything was included (Big Five, flight, rental car, fuel, food, drinks, accommodation, conservation fees, ...)

:O^ :O^ :O^ Thanks for the survey!


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