Ecovisitors economic value in Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve, Perak, Malaysia
The Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve (MMFR), Taiping, Perak is recognized as having the best management system of mangrove ecosystems globally. It is also rich in biodiversity and is one of the main ecotourism sites in the Taiping district of Perak. MMFR is one of the places developed for the pu...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2017
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/68444/1/FH%202018%204%20IR.pdf |
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| Summary: | The Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve (MMFR), Taiping, Perak is recognized as having
the best management system of mangrove ecosystems globally. It is also rich in
biodiversity and is one of the main ecotourism sites in the Taiping district of Perak.
MMFR is one of the places developed for the purpose of ecotourism in the National
Ecotourism Plan (NEP) 2016-2025 and one of the focus of the NEP is to attract local
and international investors to invest in this ecotourism area. However, MMFR's value is
still unknown to attract the investors. In addition, this study is to identify the factors that
influence the demand for outdoor recreation by ecovisitors in MMFR. Travel Cost
Method (TCM) is used to evaluate more users in MMFR as a measure of user
satisfaction. This study is also as an estimate of the economic value to ecovisitors at the
MMFR. The determination of these values directly represented the actual values of
MMFR area in Ringgit Malaysia (RM). Data collection was done using questionnaire
for the face-to-face survey session. A total of 396 questionnaires have been used in the
analysis. Respondents are comprised of visitors who visit MMFR who are aged between
18 years and above. The questionnaire comprised of five parts, which were
administration code, information on the mangrove forest, visit characteristics, trip
expenditures and socio-demographic. An Ordinary Least Square Regression (OLS)
analysis was conducted to determine the TCM values by using the Statistical Package
for Social Science (SPSS). The findings of the OLS analysis showed four (4) variables
significantly influencing the number of visits. Consequently, the estimated value of
consumer surplus for this study was RM223.19 visit/year. The end result of this study is
an estimate the economic value to ecovisitors at the MMFR of RM5 225 324.28 for
2016. From the results of this study, it can help MMFR management to attract local and
international investors based on the gross the benefit of the MMFR. In addition, it will
help management to further improve the quality of the services and facilities for the
benefit of the visitors. |
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