2025 Volume 16 Issue 1 Pages 159-165
ASEAN Heritage Park (AHP) designation is one of several tactics that have been used in Southeast Asia for promoting biodiversity conservation to achieve sustainable development goals. However, public awareness of this program is limited despite its initiation in 1978. This study examined tourist perceptions of Nam Nao National Park (NNNP), Thailand’s most recent AHP. It estimated tourist willingness to pay (WTP) for biodiversity conservation at NNNP and identified factors that influenced their decisions. Data were collected from visitors during September to October 2024 using a self-administered questionnaire, along with interviews with park officers and onsite observations. A total of 209 visitors participated in the study, 5% of whom came from overseas. Nearly half of the respondents (45%) identified as ecotourists but lacked understanding of one key aspect: supporting local livelihoods. Most respondents were first- time visitors at NNNP who came for nature-based recreation but had never heard of AHP prior to their trip. Yet, they expressed positive opinions about building conservation awareness, encouraging participation, and supporting effective park management. About 80% of the respondents were willing to pay for biodiversity conservation (with nearly 90% confidence). The average amount was 40 Baht per year (~USD $1.25), equivalent to the park entrance fee for Thai visitors. This finding suggests that visitors were willing to pay for biodiversity conservation at twice the current entrance fee. In exchange, visitors wanted their money to be spent on forest restoration and fire-break construction. Lastly, a generalized linear model identified type of tourist (i.e., ecotourists), travel frequency (i.e., frequent visitors > 5 times), gender (female), age, and positive perception as key drivers of WTP (p-value < 0.05).
