Determination of Recreation and Tourism Use Value of Bozcaada by Travel Cost Analysis Methods

Abstract

In this study, Travel Cost Analysis is used to make an economic valuation of recreational area for the Bozcaada, NW Turkey. Within this framework, a total of 200 questionnaires were applied to the visitors at Bozcaada by the random sampling method. In the economic analysis model of Bozcaada, the “Number of Visits” made to the area per year was taken as the dependent variable, while “Travel Expenses”, “Participants’ Level of Income”, “Age of participants” and “Vehicle Ownership Status” were taken as independent variables. Semi-logarithmic function type was used for the analysis of consumer rent. As a result of the analyzes, total consumer rent value was found to be 21.795.492,32 TL per year considering Bozcaada’s September 2017 prices. In this research, the relationship between the landscaping areas and the economy is revealed and it is exemplified that the economic analysis of the environment and sources can be made by Individual Travel Cost Method (ITCM).