Estimating the change in recreational value when limits are placed on access to a protected coastal area

Protected areas provide significant recreational benefits worldwide, yet increasingly the behaviour of recreationalists can come into conflict with conservation goals. Zoning and limitations to access are options to reduce harm done by recreationalists in ecologically sensitive areas, but little is known about the economic impact of these management options. In this paper the contingent behaviour model (CBM) is used to estimate the change in recreational value of a protected coastal site after the implementation of a new zoning plan, which limits access to some areas. Unusually for a CBM, the alternative scenario presented to the recreationalists is an actual, rather than a hypothetical, change. Recreational value is predicted to decrease by €4.96 per annum per user, which is a small fraction of the total value. Results indicate that limiting access to sensitive ecosystems through zoning in protected areas can be done without economically significant reductions in site value.