Estimating the Preservation Value of Wuyishan National Park from the Perspective of Bounded Rational Decision Making

Simplifying and popularizing the preservation values (valuation methods) of national parks—based on the premise of accuracy—shows stakeholders the importance of national parks, and is the basis for exploring sustainable use and development mechanisms. However, there are hypotheses biases, strategic biases, and starting point biases in regards to the existing evaluation methods. Therefore, based on the results of the contingent valuation method of research, under bounded rationality, this study uses the two-stage dichotomous choice contingent valuation and selects three methods to estimate the willingness to pay (WTP) for preservation at Wuyishan National Park. The results support that the two-stage contingent valuation method could effectively evade uncertainty with a “willingness to pay” decision making under bounded rationality, and factually reflect the real WTP. The results show that: (1) the average willingness to pay (truncated) of each household in Wuyishan National Park is CNY 609 (USD 93.90), which is similar to the actual average tourism expenditure of each household. (2) The cultural worldviews and perceived restorative environment have significant impacts on willingness to pay. (3) Comparing the preservation value of Wuyishan National Park with the actual financial input plays a positive role in manifesting the importance of Wuyishan National Park and attracting more financial input. The preservation value of Wuyishan National Park in the key market is about six times that of the basic market and one-third of that in the national market, which provides a theoretical basis for selecting the key tourism development market of Wuyishan National Park. (4) Those respondents believe that more funds should be put into protecting the national parks for their sustainable existence and bequeathing to future generations, which shows that the construction of the national park system is significant in improving natural values. This study attempted to provide theoretical support for improving non-market value and sustainable development of national parks.

DANISH VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE: SUSTAINABILITY AS A PRESERVATION VALUE

New research has demonstrated that sustainable aspects were inherent in Danish preindustrial vernacular architecture. As a logical consequence of this knowledge and with the growing focus on sustainability, this paper investigates sustainability as a preservation value for the purpose of increasing sustainability in Danish architectural conservation. To achieve this objective, the paper presents a so-called thought experiment carried out as a critical case study in order to explore if and to what extent sustainable values are already part of architectural conservation. First, the theoretical base of adding sustainability as a preservation value and the analytical model is established. Next, the case study is carried out and then sustainability as a preservation value is discussed. Lastly, the paper outlines a number of recommendations for promoting sustainability in architectural conservation, including sustainability as a preservation value.

Estimating the Preservation Value of World Heritage Site Using Contingent Valuation Method: The Case of the Li River, China

World Heritage Sites (WHSs) play an important role in sustaining community identity and enhancing local economic development through tourism. Although the Li River was designated as a WHS in 2014, severe damage to its ecosystem and environmental problems have been reported in recent years. Thus, the purpose of this study is to estimate residents’ willingness to pay (WTP) for the preservation of the Li River using a contingent valuation method. Moreover, a two-stage approach using hypothetical and real setting scenarios was utilized to reduce a hypothetical bias and overvaluation. Logit models were used to estimate the preservation value and compare factors influencing WTP between the hypothetical and real scenarios. The results of this study support the usefulness of a two-stage approach to avoid hypothetical bias and estimate a realistic preservation value. In the real setting scenario, WTP was 144.66–163.90 Yuan (USD 20.83–23.60) per capita per year, and the aggregate value was 721–818 million Yuan (USD 104–118 million) depending on mean WTP and truncated WTP. The study findings provide useful implication to support government’s fund and sustainable efforts to preserve the Li River.