Comparison of Economic Methods for Estimating the Recreational Value of Rural Countryside: A Case Study of Akhlamad Village in Khorasan Razavi Province of Iran

Given the importance of countryside on physical and mental health of the people, this study tried to determine the recreational value of Akhlamad countryside in Khorasan Razavi province of Iran by using cross section data of 120 eco- tourist households of Mashhad County. For evaluation under hypothetical market creating value, 'contingent valuation' and ' travel cost' methods were used. The results showed that the average willingness to pay (of visitors) for recreational value of this area is 15400.27 Rials for each visit. For travel cost, the recreational value estimated in non-linear least square method was 54640 Rials and in Poisson method was 181810 Rials for each visitor. By considering Mashhad’s population (about 2.8 million) as the main users of the concerned natural resources, the estimated total recreational value of this countryside area in two methods of 'non-linear least square's and 'Poisson distribution' was about 136600 and 454540 million Rials, respectively. Significant recreational value of this area provides a reasonable means for policy-makers and decision-makers in the tourism sector to justify investments in quality and summering areas to support these and prevent their destruction.