Summer Recreation Value of the Forest Park: An Application of the Individual Travel Cost Method

Abstract

This paper attempts to evaluate the effect of public investments for out-of-purpose use of an agricultural infrastructure at the Tomisato Forest Park in Hokkaido using the individual travel cost method (ITCM). The park is thought to supply a recreation value by an agricultural reservoir, natural forest, campsites, a playground and other facilities. An individual trip generating function is estimated as a recreational demand function for the park. It indicates that the recreation benefits from a multipurpose use of an agricultural reservoir at the park is summed up to about 65,000,000 yen, or 542,000 dollars per year. According to the result, we conclude that we cannot deny the economic effect of the public expenditure to the Tomisato Forest park.