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How Long Does an Economic Impact Last? Tracking the Impact of a New Giant Panda Attraction at an Australian Zoo
Abstract
A concerning issue with Economic Impact Analysis (EIA) is that many EIAs give results for one year, without being explicit about how long impacts are expected to last. New tourism attractions should not be assumed to provide continuing positive impacts into the future. For instance, the Giant Pandas at Adelaide Zoo generated a positive economic impact in their first year of residence (22% of a sample of tourists visited Adelaide “due to pandas,” additional tourism expenditure in the region was 2.3 to $4.6 million captured by the zoo); however, increased numbers visiting to see the pandas lasted only two years. Investment decision makers expected larger, longer-term economic benefits than eventuated, and the zoo experienced financial difficulties. This study provides advice for predictive EIA of new tourism attractions and prompts a call for tourism EIA studies to be explicit about the time period for which results are relevant.
... This experimental study is conducted in a zoo setting. Zoos make an important contribution to the development of the tourism sector by simultaneously playing the role of tourism attractions and conservation organizations (Driml, Ballantyne, and Packer 2017). Tourism research on zoos has explored a range of phenomena including the characteristics of on-site and off-site conservation activities (Turley 1999), the financial impact of a new attraction (Driml, Ballantyne, and Packer 2017), and the mission of zoos as sustainable eco-tourism destinations. ...
... Zoos make an important contribution to the development of the tourism sector by simultaneously playing the role of tourism attractions and conservation organizations (Driml, Ballantyne, and Packer 2017). Tourism research on zoos has explored a range of phenomena including the characteristics of on-site and off-site conservation activities (Turley 1999), the financial impact of a new attraction (Driml, Ballantyne, and Packer 2017), and the mission of zoos as sustainable eco-tourism destinations. Previous visitor-oriented research has focused on exploring visitor motivations (Klenosky and Saunders 2007), visitor preferences, and animal attractiveness (Carr 2016). ...
In the past two decades, research in tourism has explored the shift to the experiential economy in which consumers (visitors) seek memorable experiences. While prior studies converge toward the idea that immersion is a critical dimension of the tourism experience, research on immersion remains scarce, particularly the conditions under which immersion is achieved and its consequences on visitor evaluations. To fill this gap, this research builds on the experiential and flow literature to propose a model where immersion derives from autonomy and leads to greater visitor satisfaction through the underlying mechanism of temporal dissociation. Additionally, it is proposed that reactance moderates the relationship between autonomy and temporal dissociation. Two empirical studies—a field study in an experiential wine museum and an experiment involving a zoo visit—provide robust evidence of these effects, fostering theoretical progress on immersion and subsequent temporal dissociation as important dimensions of the tourism experience.
... Tourism scholars have proposed the term "zoo tourism" to more explicitly understand the conflicts that may exist between the educational, scientific, and entertainment roles of zoos [11]. Studies have demonstrated that zoo tourism provides opportunities for biodiversity conservation [12,13], conservation education [5,14,15], and economic benefits to locals [16]. According to Mason [11], zoos have the potential to become ecotourism attractions and contribute to a sustainable future of tourism. ...
Zoos consistently implement codes of conduct in efforts to manage visitor behaviour. However, few studies have examined the use of the codes of conduct in zoos, even though they carry significant ethical implications regarding the relationship between humans and animals in society. This study provides an explorative investigation into the use of codes of conduct at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (Panda Base). Positioning the Panda Base as a place to negotiate the boundaries between humans and animals, this study surveyed visitors’ initial engagement with the Base’s code of conduct, their compliance with the code, and their assessment of the code. The findings point to a significant disparity between how visitors engage with and perceive the value of the code, which failed to prevent visitors from having close contact with animals at the Panda Base. We argue that Foucault’s philosophy on taboos in modern society can help us understand the ineffectiveness of the codes of conduct in zoos. However, Kant’s philosophy can orient human-animal interactions more ethically and provide an opportunity to consider the significance of codes of conduct in zoos. Suggestions for improving the effectiveness of codes of conduct at zoos are provided.
... This is illustrated by the addition of two giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) to Adelaide Zoo in 2010. Although the giant panda is arguably the most charismatic of all species, their addition to Adelaide Zoo only resulted in increased visitor numbers lasting two years, after which attendance returned to pre-2010 levels (Driml et al. 2017). If zoos and aquariums are to appeal to visitor preferences, further investigation is needed into not only which species people most like to see -and the characteristics of these species that drive their appeal -but also the broader motives and expectations behind a visit to a zoological institution (Garrett 2015). ...
Despite the best efforts of conservation practitioners global biodiversity is continuing to decline. The role of zoos and aquariums in conserving global biodiversity ex situ has become increasingly important as more species become threatened with extinction. As ex situconservation resources are limited, evidence-based decision making is required to identify, and prioritise, the management actions necessary to increase the potential of ex situ conservation efforts. The efficacy of ex situ conservation efforts is currently hindered by 1) entrenched taxonomic biases in collection planning and the prioritisation of large, charismatic vertebrates, 2) the unsustainability of ex situ populations due to limited space availability and management practices, and 3) limited considerations of the potential for ex situ collections to conserve and reintroduce genetic variation into populations using biological samples and advanced reproductive technologies. In this thesis I explore the multifaceted contribution of ex situ collections to global biodiversity conservation. I focus on the importance of standardised, globally shared ex situ records, and their potential to inform collection planning, population sustainability and genetic conservation decision-making.
... This may be because the species was viewed simply as a 'black corvid' and black corvids could be commonly seen in the countryside. Therefore, the species could be considered underwhelming to visitors, despite its vibrant red beak and legs; effectively, the opposite to giant pandas arriving at Adelaide zoo for example (Driml, Ballantyne, & Packer, 2016). However, more likely was the fact that chough were 'competing' against two mammalian species that also figure highly within UK conservation plans and activities; the wildcat and water vole. ...
IUCN guidelines state that public support for conservation projects should be garnered prior to any ‘on the ground’ activities taking place, as public knowledge and support, both passive and / or active, can influence greatly the success of a species reintroduction. This study investigated the effectiveness of generating public support within a zoo setting for a conservation species reintroduction project. Questionnaires were completed by public visiting the zoo allowing data collection, pre and post the display of the species, that provided an opportunity to report on the impact a species presence has on generating levels of support. Generally, passive support was very high for the project, but increased after the red-billed chough were viewable to the public. However, levels of donations reduced once the species was visible to the public, with people appearing to favour mammalian species over a bird species. However, red-billed chough raised more ‘virtual’ funding than water vole, which was not on public display. Innate favouritism or likeability for a species appeared to play a major role in decision making by the public, indicating that where conservation conflicts may arise they would lend support to ‘likeable’ over ‘dull’ species regardless of conservation priorities. This indicates greater education would be needed in such cases to reinforce the wider conservation positives from proposed projects. Whilst not all human dimensions were measured here, the study showed that education and having an animal on display can positively raise public passive support and potential active support for a conservation project.
... While most attention has been on major facilities and events, other studies have identified the economic gains from smaller events at the community level (e.g. McCann and Thompson, 1992;Walo et al., 1996;Prayaga et al., 2006;Edwards, 2012;Driml et al., 2016). ...
Increasingly communities and government are using sporting, recreation and festival events as drivers of economic growth in regional areas, particularly where these can be used to align with tourism activities. However a key challenge is to evaluate and prioritise investments in facilities and services for these types of events. It is difficult for local government and communities to identify exactly which opportunities to pursue, because of issues such as the large costs involved in providing infrastructure, maintaining facilities and hosting events, competition from other centres, the variety of sport and recreation possibilities, and the variation in potential market segments. In this paper we develop a framework to evaluate proposals as well as provide a simple assessment tool to help prioritise between options. A case study application to a regional city in Queensland, Australia, demonstrates that the majority of economic benefits from a sporting event can be estimated as the number of extra visitor nights generated by $45 per visitor night. For this case study, these benefits should be at least equal or greater than any investment of public funds.
... Also, the new emotion-time-space model needs to be further tested to identify findings which are generally applicable in different contexts from the highly-specific factors only relevant to one zoological theme park at the time of study (Schultz and Joordens 2014). Nonetheless, this type of pioneer research with a detailed empirical study and backed by a conceptual framework should be more widely encouraged in conservation education (Driml, Ballantyne, and Packer 2017). Industry leaders in the planning and management of zoological facilities need to be forward-looking and dynamic. ...
Conservation education can be fostered through formal and informal learning. An increasing number of zoological facilities with conservation missions have provided experiential learning venues characterized by self-directed, self-motivated and diversified learning experience integrated with fun and entertainment. In this paper, we develop an emotion–time–space model to address the diversity in visitors’ experience and its influence on conservation intentions. An empirical study at Ocean Park, Hong Kong indicated that visitor’s emotions, temporal and spatial behaviour influence the effectiveness of conservation education. Changes of personal emotions during the entire visit, the sequence of stops made, and the nature and combinations of attractions visited matter in explaining stronger intentions to protect animals and the environment. These findings have implications for zoological theme park design and improvements of learning outcomes in a free-choice learning environment.
... Wang et al. 2017). One reason is that people who stay longer at hotels are more likely to order food and beverages and obtain transportation services and entertainment activities (Downward and Lumsdon 2004;Driml, Ballantyne, and Packer 2017;Vu et al. 2017). In contrast, Thrane and Farstad (2011) indicate that in domestic travel, the positive magnitude declines as the length of stay increases. ...
The objective of this article is to analyze travel expenses across and within types. The empirical application examines the determinant factors of total expenses, controlling for potential endogeneity, and relies on quantile regression to analyze the effects of information search behavior on the distribution of total expenses as well as accommodation, shopping, food and beverages, and local transportation expenses. The role of information sources in predicting travel spending behaviors is a new dimension in the literature on expenses, and a sample of 48,113 travelers has led to the detection of effects of variables with relevant managerial implications (e.g., while official information centers show positive impacts at the upper levels of accommodation expenses, they present null effects at the highest levels of shopping expenses) as well as theoretical implications (special attention should be drawn to the variable length of stay, which, after being controlled by endogeneity, completely loses its significance).
... Given that regional EIA is only a partial view of total economics, and the technical constraints necessary for IMPLAN modeling, estimated economic impacts should be properly qualified. For example, the expected duration of jobs and impacts should be considered (Driml et al., 2016), as should the expected sustainability of jobs within ecological limits be considered (Hjerpe et al., 2016). ...
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) in northeastern Minnesota contains more than a million acres of connected lakes and rivers. As one of the most heavily visited U.S. Wilderness areas, the BWCAW represents an ecosystem managed primarily for conservation values that also has a substantial regional economic impact. This combination of high visitation and strong conservation management represents a sustainable symbiotic relationship where visitor expenditures help maintain ecosystem protection. To investigate this symbiotic relationship, the regional economic impacts of the BWCAW were estimated. Multiplier effects were calculated and the sustainability and tradeoffs associated with BWCAW tourism were examined, as was the export nature of BWCAW recreation. Data collection consisted of surveying 2016 summer BWCAW visitors. Visitor regional expenditures were extrapolated to overall visitation data and entered into IMPLAN impact analysis software. Based on 513 completed surveys, and an overall survey response rate of 40%, out-of-region visitors spent over 78 million in total economic output and creating 1100 full and part-time jobs. Estimated economic impacts of outdoor recreation and their sustainability can be helpful for informing regional economic development policy for conservation areas worldwide .
Giant panda Ailuropoda melanoleuca exhibits are popular attractions for zoos and wildlife parks. However, it remains to be investigated whether such exhibits enhance visitor knowledge about pandas and broader conservation issues. We conducted questionnaire surveys at giant panda exhibits at three city zoos and five wildlife parks in China. Although visitors were generally interested in the giant panda, this was not reflected in their post-exhibit knowledge of giant panda biology. Socio-demographically, men were more knowledgeable of giant panda biology than women. Knowledge correlated positively with respondent level of education. Younger respondents (< 45 years) knew most about giant pandas and expressed an interest in learning more about them using social media. The most informed respondents had visited other giant panda exhibits previously. Respondents were generally satisfied with the giant panda exhibits (mean score 4.44/5). Wildlife parks delivered a better educational outcome than city zoos. We recommend approaches to improve the visitor experience further and to leverage public interest in broader conservation engagement and action in China.
Nationality is considered a highly relevant determinant of tourism expenditure. In this paper, we use survey data to estimate the main determinants of daily tourism expenditure in 2019 for five nationalities of a major coastal destination, the Canary Islands. A total of 38 regressors, based on literature, are used with the help of quantile regression analysis to understand the behaviour patterns of different expenditure segments. To obtain segmented information on the determinants of expenditure, independent quantile regression models for each nationality are estimated and compared. Results show that there are similarities but also some remarkable differences between nationalities regarding income, age, travel group, educational level, or content of the package that can be used in destination management and marketing.
The aims of event assessment are often unclear. Failure to clarify objectives has resulted in a less than satisfactory approach to event evaluation given that the two major approaches, economic impact analysis (EIA) and cost–benefit analysis (CBA), can give conflicting results. Since economic impacts do not equate to net benefits, an important topic for future research should be the issue of reconciling EIA and CBA. An approach is recommended that bridges the gap between EIA and CBA, in a way that has policy relevance for destination managers. Bridging this gap calls forth a host of challenges that must be met by researchers in the future.
Throughout the text of this introduction to benefit cost analysis, emphasis is on applications, and a worked case study is progressively undertaken as an illustration of the analytical principles in operation. The first part covers basic theory and procedures. Part Two advances to material on internationally tradeable goods and projects that affect market prices, and part Three introduces special topics such as the treatment of risk and uncertainty, income distributional effects and the valuation of non-marketed goods. Instructors' resource web site: http://www.uq.edu.au/economics/bca
Major sports events are used increasingly by policy-makers to stimulate economic development. This has resulted in a growth of academic interest in ways of analysing their contribution. Following a review of the literature on the contrasting approaches that have been used, this paper assesses the economic impact of the Beijing Olympics, in particular the tourism impact, using computable general equilibrium (CGE) modelling. To add novelty, it analyses the data under conditions of imperfect competition, an approach that has been used to good effect in other contexts, notably international trade. The findings suggest that staging the Beijing Olympics brought economic benefits to the host economy but that the scale of the impact was not significant compared to the total size of the economy. The welfare impacts of the Beijing Olympics under imperfect competition are shown to be higher than when perfect competition is assumed. This is explained by the pro-competitive effect.
This paper aims to provide the most up-to-date survey of tourism economics research and to summarise the key trends in its recent development. Particular attention is paid to the research progress made over the last decade in respect of approaches, methodological innovations, emerging topics, research gaps, and directions for future research. Remarkable but unbalanced developments have been observed across different sub-research areas in tourism economics. While neoclassical economics has contributed the most to the development of tourism economics, alternative schools of thought in economics have also emerged in advancing our understanding of tourism from different perspectives. As tourism studies are multi- and inter-disciplinary, integrating economics with other social science disciplines will further contribute to knowledge creation in tourism studies.
This study devises a methodology to measure the economic significance of national park tourism, which is applied to the State of Queensland, Australia. Development of a methodology to provide this information is important to demonstrate the attraction of national parks to tourism and to provide a basis for government decisions on allocating funds for national park management. A strategic national park sampling logic was developed to allow surveys to be conducted in a stratified, representative sample of the over 500 Queensland parks. Data on expenditure by tourists were analyzed (employing sensitivity and risk analysis) to find the "national park-generated" component of tourist expenditure directly attributable to the attractions of the national parks. A deliberately conservative approach was taken to address the economic information needs of State Treasury Departments, which are responsible for allocating funding to park management authorities. The contribution to the gross state product (GSP) was estimated at $345 million annually, representing 4.9% of tourism's contribution to GSP, or five times the current annual government expenditure on national park visitor management in the State of Queensland. Recommendations for some improvements to the methodology were developed based on the study conducted.
National parks are playing an important role in the South African tourism landscape - especially in their respective regional economies - since most foreign and many domestic tourists visit one or more of the 21 national parks annually. For the purpose of this article, socio-economic impact analyses were conducted at four national parks using similar methodology. These parks differ considerably and the results confirm that a variety of variables play a role in contributing to the magnitude of the socio-economic impact. From these case studies, a number of interesting lessons have been learned, which have implications for managing national parks. In terms of regional development, it is also shown that different parks play different roles in their regional economies.
Using data collected from more than 1,000 tourists on live-aboard dive boats operating in the Cairns/Cooktown management area of the Great Barrier Reef, this paper estimates the regional economic impact of that live-aboard industry. It also uses a subset of these data (247 respondents) to investigate some of the relative 'values' of key marine species seen on the trips that included the Coral Sea location of Osprey Reef and which targeted multiple species of wildlife. The authors find that (i) each year, the live-aboard dive boats are directly responsible for generating at least AU$16 million worth of income in the Cairns/Port Douglas region; (ii) visitors participating in different types of trips gain their highest levels of 'satisfaction' from interacting with different types of species; and (iii) visitors to Osprey Reef would be willing to pay more for a 'guaranteed' sighting of sharks than they would for a 'guaranteed' sighting of large fish, marine turtles or a 'wide variety of species'.
The technical report series present data and its analysis, meta-studies and conceptual studies, and are considered to be of value to industry, government and researchers. Unlike the Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre (STCRC) Monograph series, these reports have not been subjected to an external peer review process. As such, the scientific accuracy and merit of the research reported here is the responsibility of the authors, who should be contacted for clarification of any content.
The analysis of the impact of mega events has included frameworks that evaluate different impacts under different criteria, for example, separating impacts according to whether they occur before, during or after the event itself. Analysis of the economic impacts of such events has shown that the distributional effects between the host city and the rest of an economy can be important, and can have opposite signs. This paper introduces frameworks to show the origin of the economic scale, that is, Olympic-related investment and expenditure, and shows how the frameworks can be used with reference to the Beijing 2008 Olympics. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A survey conducted by the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, in collaboration with national and regional zoo and aquarium associations, showed that annually more than 700 million people visit zoos and aquariums worldwide and are thus potentially exposed to environmental education. Furthermore, the world zoo and aquarium community reportedly spends about US$ 350 million on wildlife conservation each year. Therefore, the world zoo and aquarium community has the potential to play an important role in both environmental education and wildlife conservation. Systematic reviews are encouraged to provide further evidence for the effectiveness of zoos and aquariums as centers of education and conservation.
This article employs a multiregional CGE model to examine the effects of a mega sporting event, the Sydney 2000 summer Olympics, on economic and financial variables within a single analytical framework. Simulations are conducted for three phases over a 12-year period. Careful attention is paid to the presence of constraints on labour supply and capital and on the sources of savings funding Olympic investments. Simulations are conducted under the assumption that no effects from the Games remain on the debt position of Australian governments or the nation's external debt five years after the Sydney Games. the results indicate that provided there is not too large a financial loss on the Games, inclusive of construction costs, that a modest positive impact on the state hosting the Games can occur. the degree to which this positive impact comes at the expense of other states depends crucially on assumed labour-market conditions.
Zoos are important and popular tourist attractions. Spread around the world, they are typically located in major cities, with visitation levels comparable to other major attractions. Nature-based attractions constructed in artificial settings, they face the challenge of trying to balance potentially conflicting aims of conservation, education and entertainment. The best are continually developing fresh and effective techniques on visitor interpretation and management, the worst highlight the manipulation of animals for human gratification. Taking a global approach, this book examines the problems and paradoxes of zoos as they try to balance their roles as visitor attractions while repositioning themselves as leading conservation agencies. © 2011 Warwick Frost and the authors of individual chapters. All rights reserved.
The proper analysis of data is predicated on the existence of a data set containing valid responses. There are many sound techniques that should be employed to minimize data errors, and to cleanse data sets. The purpose of this article is to provide instructors and their students with an overview of the mechanics of data capture; the metadata framework; outlier detection and treatment; and contemporary solutions for missing data.
This textbook describes the relevance of economics to the tourism and leisure industries, helping you to pass an economics module as part of a tourism, recreation or sport management degree. It applies economic theory to a range of tourism industry issues at the consumer, business, national and international level by using topical examples to give the theory real-world context. The author explains the impact of the global economic crisis and the importance of understanding what has happened over the course of previous economic business cycles to prepare for what may happen in the future. Contrasting evidence is put forward to provide a sense of the dynamics of world economies. © 2011, 2005, 1999, 1995, Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The conceptual arguments and empirical analyses in the article illustrate that when tourism organizations replicate economic impact analyses and/or compare their results with those reported by others, perceived differences often are specious because they are attributable to artifacts in multiplier measurement as well as to changes in the structure of host economies. Four sources of variation in multipliers that may result in specious comparisons are addressed: differences in specifications of the three main types of models used in economic impact analyses, semantic and definition confusion, changes in communities’ economic structures, and calibration and decision rule changes.
The potential influence of eight decisions made by researchers that are unlikely to be reported in economic impact analyses are identified and empirically tested. The data set was comprised of studies undertaken at nine state parks in Texas. Four of the decisions were categorized as being potentially relatively malignant in that they used obviously inappropriate procedures and were likely to substantially exaggerate expenditure estimates: using group weighting rather than individual weighting; omitting a measure of the extent to which visiting a park was the primary trip purpose; retaining outlier values; and aggregating different visitor segments. The four relatively benign decisions were: convenience or probability samples; managers’ or samples’ estimates of number of nonlocal visitors; treating nonresponses as missing data or as zero expenditures; and sector selection for assignment of government expenditures.
Special events can have a sizable economic significance (ES) and economic impact (EI) in host communities. This study’s purpose was to update the input measurement concepts in assessing the EI for a short-term special event. Specific EI measurements were examined as suggested by Crompton, Lee, and Shuster (2001) and Stynes (1997) that differentiated between types of attendees. A trade market analysis (TMA) technique was applied to refine the measures of locals and nonlocals and to reconsider locals who have visiting friends and relatives (VFR) in their group profiles. Further refinement of day-trip attendees and visitors expenditure impacts were identified and used to adjust the EI when applied to a sales multiplier. Self-administered online surveys were emailed to 2,678 group leaders from a registration and on-site intercept population with a response rate of 46%. Measurement improvements were found for local, nonlocal, casual, time-switcher, and VFR attendees in EI application.
Whereas investments in new attractions continue to rise within the theme park industry, knowledge regarding the effects of new attractions on theme park performance and attendance remains scarce. In this article results from a research amongst general managers of theme parks in Europe will be presented. Different methods were used to investigate what the impact of adding a new attraction on the number of visitors to a theme park would be, according to the general management. The managers first responded to a written survey and then answered some detailed, elaborative questions by email or telephone. The majority of managers also participated in an in-depth interview. Results show that investing in new attractions is considered to be the most important (controllable) factor on the number of visitors in both the short and long run. Most theme parks in Europe invest in major new attractions once every three years, combining it with a minor investment every year. Large differences in effects were found between parks. Parks that invest once every three years showed the highest effect on number of visitors for their latest new attraction.
Most economic impact studies are commissioned to legitimize a political position rather than to search for economic truth. Often, this results in the use of mischievous procedures that produce large numbers that study sponsors seek to support a predetermined position. Examples are selected primarily from the reports of ostensibly expert consultants that illustrate 10 of these mischievous procedures: including local residents; inappropriate aggregation; inclusion of time-switchers and casuals; abuse of multipliers; ignoring costs borne by the local community; ignoring opportunity costs; ignoring displacement costs; expanding the project scope; exaggerating visitation numbers; and inclusion of consumer surplus. The political payoff of these shenanigans is discussed.
This article reviews problems encountered in using visitor surveys to measure travel spending. Lack of consistency in question wording, spending categories, and units of analysis makes it difficult to compare results across studies. Spending results can be quite sensitive to a number of data-handling issues, in particular, the treatment of outliers, contaminants, and missing spending data. It is recommended that spending averages be estimated for narrowly defined visitor segments so they can be validated with engineering approaches and common sense. Further research evaluating alternative designs for measuring spending is needed to address a host of methodological issues.
Purpose
Whereas investments in new attractions continue to rise within the theme park industry, knowledge regarding the effects of new attractions on theme park performance and attendance remains scarce. In order to isolate these effects, the purpose of this paper is to present the results of an econometric study explaining the variance in theme park visitor numbers and quantifying the effects of new attractions on theme park attendance.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on an econometric study, in which models were produced for four European theme parks. No pooled modelling was used, meaning that four different models were created; one for each participating theme park. Various variables affecting theme park attendance were identified and quantified, and subsequently the effects of new attractions on visitor numbers were isolated.
Findings
Findings indicate that all new attractions opened at Park D during the research period have had a positive long‐term influence on attendance. This positive influence lasted for no more than two years. No significant short‐term influence was found. There were significant differences in effect between new attractions which could not yet be explained.
Research limitations/implications
The research by design only takes into account the economic effects of new attractions and disregards all environmental and socio‐cultural effects. Even though the research provides an accurate approximation of the effects of new attractions on attendance, this effect should, according to the author, not be perceived as a stand‐alone effect yet as a part of a complex system. A situational approach taking into account several other situational as well as qualitative factors would do the complex reality more justice than a, even though effective, simplified and general approach.
Practical implications
Industry operators can now use the econometric model presented in this paper to determine the effects of new attractions on their theme park's attendance and use this knowledge to further fine‐tune their investment policy.
Originality/value
The paper presents the first econometric model successful at isolating and quantifying a new attraction's effect on theme park attendance and can thus be a valuable tool in perfecting one's investment policy. The paper furthermore includes a brief introduction to a situational approach of determining a new attraction's effects on theme park performance.
This study aims at estimating the economic impact for the region of Galicia of the visit of the Pope on 6 November 2010. Several sources of information (own surveys, interviews, official statistical sources, press and audiometric studies developed by specialized companies) and the Cost-Benefit Analysis methodological approach are used. Overall, we conclude that the net effects are clearly positive in terms of boosting regional economic activity and tourism promotion. On the contrary, tax returns for the regional government are very low due to fiscal federal arrangements in Spain.
Cultural heritage tourism has emerged as both an important economic tool and marketing tool when seeking a competitive advantage in the tourism industry. This study examined the economic impact a heritage railway has on a regional rural economy, namely the Great Smoky Mountains railroad (GSMr), a member of American heritage railways. Findings revealed the GSMr has exerted a profound effect on the region. It has contributed significantly to the regional economy, and has provided excellent value for the services rendered based on visitor satisfaction ratings. It has helped to diversify the regions tourism offerings, enhance its uniqueness and revitalize its tourism industry. Results from this study will assist GSMr management in the future planning and development of its heritage railway train excursions and marketing strategies.
Zoos are important urban-based visitor attractions. It is generally accepted that they have multiple roles: entertainment, education, scientific research, and species preservation. However, it has been argued that these roles are not compatible. The establishment of other forms of animal attractions and the emergence of many other attractions for day visitors in urban areas has meant that the role of traditional zoos in the 21st century is being challenged. This article used survey research at Wellington Zoo in New Zealand to explore visitor demographics and their understanding of the zoo's roles. Ninety percent of visitors were from New Zealand. The percentage nonlocal domestic visitors had increased compared to previous zoo surveys, suggesting a growing importance of tourist visits. Visitors perceived that education was the single most important role of the zoo, but recreation was also viewed as a major role. A majority of visitors indicated that the zoo had important roles in the areas of conservation and breeding animals, but a large minority (approximately 35%) was not aware of these roles. Although the zoo's roles of education and entertainment appeared not be in conflict, the lack of awareness by a large minority of the zoo's conservation role has implications for both marketing and management at the zoo, as well as raising wider issues about the future of the traditional zoo.
An assessment of the economic impact of sporting and other events requires the collection of expenditure data from visitors attracted to the host region for the purposes of attending these events. In general, the recall method has been used in visitor surveys largely because of convenience considerations and the perception that this approach avoids nonresponse bias problems more effectively. However, the accuracy of the data collected in recall surveys depends on the reliability of the respondents' memory. The comparison of the diary and recall methods carried out in this study reveals that, although the total expenditure figures derived from each method are similar, there are significant variations in the profile of expenditure on individual items. These contrasts can have a bearing on estimates of economic impacts to the extent that the import component associated with each category of expenditure varies.
This paper is based on a report that Aegis Consulting Australia and Applied Economics prepared for the Australasian Regional Association of Zoological Parks and Aquaria (ARAZPA) in March 2009. We discuss the zoological industry's contribution to the Australian economy and society in terms of the following items.
• Economic value, that is Gross Domestic Product, employment and tourism.
• Value for consumers, based on visitor survey results, financial support for zoos and consumer surplus.
• Conservation value, including the type and results of in situ and ex situ programmes and research.
• Education value, including success in raising conservation awareness and motivating behaviour change.
• Value of contribution to bio‐security.
Our research is based on surveys and interviews with a range of stakeholders, including zoos, governments, consumers, industry representatives and conservation organizations. In the report, comparisons are drawn between government and private‐sector contributions to the financial upkeep of zoos and the contribution of zoos to the governments' conservation obligations and priorities, and the resultant savings to the public sector. In conclusion, the report finds that there is a strong case for governments to increase their contributions to zoos to assist in ongoing education, conservation and bio‐security services to the Australian and international community.
Techniques such as multiplier analysis and Input–Output analysis are still very commonly used to make estimates of the economic impact of changes in tourism expenditure. These techniques have serious limitations, and as a result, alternative techniques have been developed to address the problems. Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) models are now extensively used, especially in Australia, the UK, the US and Canada, to estimate economic impacts of a wide variety of changes and policies, across most sectors. CGE techniques have been used in the tourism context, but so far, not extensively. Economic evaluation in tourism thus fails to achieve best practice. The paper presents arguments in support of CGE modelling as the preferred technique in analysing the economic impacts of tourism, and discusses its potential to drive future research in this area that is more relevant to real world tourism destinations.
Economic impact analysis (EIA) of outdoor recreation can provide critical social information concerning the utilization of natural resources. Outdoor recreation and other non-consumptive uses of resources are viewed as environmentally friendly alternatives to extractive-type industries. While outdoor recreation can be an appropriate use of resources, it generates both beneficial and adverse socioeconomic impacts on rural communities. The authors used EIA to assess the regional economic impacts of rafting in Grand Canyon National Park. The Grand Canyon region of northern Arizona represents a rural US economy that is highly dependent upon tourism and recreational expenditures. The purpose of this research is twofold. The first is to ascertain the previously unknown regional economic impacts of Grand Canyon river runners. The second purpose is to examine attributes of these economic impacts in terms of regional multipliers, leakage, and types of employment created. Most of the literature on economic impacts of outdoor recreation has focused strictly on the positive economic impacts, failing to illuminate the coinciding adverse and constraining economic impacts. Examining the attributes of economic impacts can highlight deficiencies and constraints that limit the economic benefits of recreation and tourism. Regional expenditure information was obtained by surveying non-commercial boaters and commercial outfitters. The authors used IMPLAN input-output modeling to assess direct, indirect, and induced effects of Grand Canyon river runners. Multipliers were calculated for output, employment, and income. Over 22,000 people rafted on the Colorado River through Grand Canyon National Park in 2001, resulting in an estimated $21,100,000 of regional expenditures to the greater Grand Canyon economy. However, over 50% of all rafting-related expenditures were not captured by the regional economy and many of the jobs created by the rafting industry are lower-wage and seasonal. Policy recommendations are given for increasing the regional retention of rafting expenditures and for understanding both the beneficial and adverse impacts that accompany outdoor recreation in rural areas.
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Pandas Will Leave Adelaide Zoo in Debt for a Decade
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Giant Panda Breeding Update
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Pandas worth $630 million to the state
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Adelaide Zoo $24m in Debt
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Zoos Weigh up the Cost of China's 'Pandanomics
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