Coral bleaching and the demand for coral reefs : a marine recreation case in Zanzibar
2005
Jiddawi, N. | Ngazy, Z. | Cesar, H.
Coral reefs and their associated marine life are one of the greatest natural endowments of the Zanzibar islands. They provide direct and indirect sustenance to rural and urban populations, and protect thousands of organisms that have been used as a source of protein and minerals to human populations, especially in the rural areas. Recreational scuba diving is among the benefits delivered by coral reefs. It is increasingly becoming a conspicuous component of international tourism, creating employment opportunities for a considerable number of people and contributing to national income. In 1998, coral bleaching was witnessed in many parts of the world. It was related to a mixture of stresses, both natural and human-induced, and threatened the livelihoods of local communities and tourism industries. This paper looks at the impact of coral bleaching on tourism. Specifically, it estimates the demand for recreational scuba diving in Zanzibar using the contingent valuation method (CVM) and it assesses tourists` perceptions of the condition of coral reefs in Zanzibar. The survey was conducted in Unguja, Zanzibar. Findings from 157 questionnaires completed by tourists suggested that most of the respondents visited Zanzibar as part of a larger trip that included other destinations in the region. About 72 per cent had some knowledge of coral bleaching. At the 95 per cent level, sex, annual income and diving experience were found to be significant in the estimation of the willingness-to-pay (WTP) equation, whereas the number of divies that a tourist made depended significantly on duration of stay in Zanzibar and on annual income. Diving experience and the condition of Zanzibar`s reefs were found to be insignificant in the demand equation. Variables such as age and education, initially included, were later omitted in the model due to their strong correlation with other explanatory variables. The majority of the respondents perceived the coral reef condition in Zanzibar to be good and the average WTP for experiencing high quality reefs was US$84.7 annually over and above what they had already paid for the experience.
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