Estimating the visitor’s willingness to pay towards biodiversity conservation at Kuala Lumpur Forest Eco Park, Malaysia, using the Contingent Valuation Method

Visitors to Kuala Lumpur Forest Eco Park, Malaysia's oldest and most biodiverse urban forest, demonstrate significant willingness to pay (WTP) for biodiversity conservation, with a mean WTP of MYR3.81 per visit and a median of MYR2.58. This finding, derived from a Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) study involving 250 domestic and international tourists, provides critical economic insights to support future conservation funding strategies. Factors such as religion, marital status, income, employment, and education were found to influence WTP, suggesting targeted approaches for maximizing visitor contributions. The study addresses a key gap in biodiversity valuation by quantifying non-market benefits, offering decision-makers a data-driven basis for setting conservation fees that could enhance park sustainability.

MUSA, F., & SHAHRUDIN, I. N. M. (2023). Estimating the visitor’s willingness to pay towards biodiversity conservation at Kuala Lumpur Forest Eco Park, Malaysia, using the Contingent Valuation Method. Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity, 24(7). https://doi.org/10.13057/biodiv/d240705