Economic valuation of tourism of the Sundarban Mangroves, Bangladesh

TL;DR

This study estimates the economic value of tourism in Bangladesh's Sundarban Mangroves, highlighting its significant contribution and suggesting ways to boost ecotourism through improved facilities and policies.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive economic valuation of Sundarban tourism using the Zonal Travel Cost Method in Bangladesh.

Findings

Tourism contributes approximately USD 53 million annually.

Wildlife viewing and forest walks attract more tourists.

Enhanced information and facilities can increase tourist numbers.

Abstract

The Sundarban Reserve Forest (SRF) of Bangladesh provides tourism services to local and international visitors. Indeed, tourism is one of the major ecosystem services that this biodiversity-rich mangrove forest provides. Through a convenient sampling technique, 421 tourist respondents were interviewed to assess their willingness to pay for the tourism services of the Sundarban, using the Zonal Travel Cost Method (ZTCM). The estimated annual economic contribution of tourism in the Sundarban mangroves to the Bangladesh economy is USD 53 million. The findings of this study showed that facilities for watching wildlife and walking inside the forest can increase the number of tourists in the SRF. The findings also show that the availability of information like forest maps, wildlife precautionary signs, and danger zones would increase the number of tourists as well. Thus, the government of Bangladesh should consider increasing visitor entry fees to fund improvements and to enhance the ecotourism potential of the Sundarban mangroves.