Valuing Protected Area by Users: A Case Study of Khao Yai National Park

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to investigate the characteristics of protected area valuing by visitors to Khao Yai National Park and local people associated with the Park, behavioral responses of those users toward protected area management and to study the influence of protected area valuation on behavioral responses toward protected area management. Data were collected through personal interview surveys of 200 Park visitors and 247 local people. The survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, factor analysis, t-test, correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis. Factor analysis identified four groups of protected area valuation—namely, recreational value, natural resource and biodiversity conservation value, environmental service and life support value, and nature and historical learning value.  These four groups of protected area values accounted for 57% of the variance in protected area users. The t-test found that the average scores of protected area valuation by park visitors and local people were not significantly different. A majority of Park visitors and local people had a moderate level of behavioral responses toward protected area management with 81.5% and 93.4%, respectively. Correlation analysis found that the four groups of protected area values were significantly correlated to the behavioral responses of both visitors and local people groups, while the multiple regression analyses produced different results. Natural resource and biodiversity conservation value and nature and historical learning value significantly influenced the behavioral responses of park visitors and accounted for 16% of the variance in the responses (F =  9.381; P-value = 0.000; R² = 0.16). Nature resource and biodiversity conservation value and environmental service and life support value significantly influenced the behavioral responses of local people and accounted for 15% of the variance in the responses (F = 10.220; P-value = 0.000; R² = 0.15).

Keywords: protected area values, visitors, local people, Khao Yai National Park