Assessing Tourists’ Willingness to Pay for Waste Management in Public Parks of District Peshawar

Abstract

Tourism is a phenomenon that includes mobility and activities associated with the provision of services required during and after travel. This study aims to determine the value that tourists allocate to the improvement of waste management in public parks in Peshawar District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The data were collected from 400 respondents through face-to-face interviews by using an open-ended elicitation format. Contingent Valuation Method (CVM), a method widely used to estimate non-marketed valuation, was adopted for conducting the survey. For data analysis, a linear regression model was used.
Results of the study reveal that 93 percent of the respondents are willing to pay a premium for waste management in public parks. Outcomes of the study also show a positive and significant relationship of age, education, income, employment, and household age with willingness to pay. Overall, tourists are willing to pay an 18 percent price premium for better waste management in the public parks of Peshawar district. A new and better waste management system in public parks in District Peshawar must be introduced using a small contribution fee imposed on tourists, as they are already willing to pay a little more to have cleaner parks with better maintenance.