资源环境科技发展态势分析平台

Beaches provide multiple recreational opportunities, such as swimming, surfing, fishing, walking or just enjoying being by the seaside. Most previous studies that have valued beach use have assumed a trip to the beach was a homogeneous activity. In this study, we estimate the non-market value of beach usage by New South Wales, Australia, residents using a travel cost modelling approach. Unlike previous studies, we develop the model based on the activities that visitors mostly undertake when visiting the beach, and allow for multiple activities to occur. We find that different uses of the beach attract different levels of consumer surplus. Activities such as surfing, fishing and swimming generate higher levels of consumer surplus than more passive activities such as just enjoying the natural environment. We also find that Sydney residents have different values to non-Sydney residents. From our analysis, a trip to the beach provides a base level of consumer surplus of around $10/trip for Sydney residents, with additional benefits derived from undertaking different activities. For example, surfing followed by a walk along the beach adds an additional $17 to the value of the visit. Understanding the pattern of use is therefore important when estimating the use values of beaches.