Natural landscape valuation of Wulingyuan Scenic Area in Zhangjiajie City

A comprehensive valuation of the natural landscape in Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area, Zhangjiajie City, reveals its total economic value to be approximately 89.01 billion RMB (2011 data), significantly surpassing previous estimates and current tourism revenue. The study, published in Acta Ecologica Sinica, highlights that the landscape's value is predominantly derived from usage (79.30 billion RMB) with a notable non-usage component (9.71 billion RMB). Researchers employed the travel cost method for usage value assessment and contingent valuation method for non-usage value, emphasizing the urgent need for ecological conservation amid rising tourism pressures. This finding underscores the critical importance of integrating economic valuation into sustainable development strategies for UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

CHENG Cheng, 成程, XIAO Yi, 肖燚, OUYANG Zhiyun, 欧阳志云, & RAO Enming, 饶恩明. (2013). Natural landscape valuation of Wulingyuan Scenic Area in Zhangjiajie City. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 33(3), 771–779. https://doi.org/10.5846/stxb201203270418