Economic Value and Historical Scenic Beauty: The Case of Chinampas (Raised Beds) in Xochimilco, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mexico

Tourists are willing to pay approximately $24.4 annually to preserve the historical scenic beauty of chinampas, a pre-Hispanic agricultural system dating from the 14th to 16th centuries in Xochimilco, Mexico. This study estimates the economic value of preserving this cultural heritage at between US$3000 and US$3700 per hectare using contingent valuation (CV) surveys. The findings highlight the significant monetary value that tourists assign to maintaining such historical landscapes, providing crucial data for policymakers evaluating projects or policies with conflicting objectives. This research is notable for its innovative application of CV to assess the economic value of historical scenic beauty, an area with limited prior literature.

Revollo-Fernández, D. A. (2015). Economic Value and Historical Scenic Beauty: The Case of Chinampas (Raised Beds) in Xochimilco, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mexico. Natural Resources, 06(04), 273–285. https://doi.org/10.4236/nr.2015.64024