Applying Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) To Measure Economic Value of Ecotourism In Shahr-e-Soukhteh of Iran

Zabol County is one of the touristic and recreational regions of Sistan and Balochestan province. The purpose of current study is to estimate ecotourism value of Shahr-e-Soukhteh using Contingent Valuation Method. To study effective factors on the level of peoples, willingness to pay, Logit pattern was evaluated using maximum likelihood method.The required data were collected through questionnaire fulfillment and personal interview with 150 visitors in the mentioned region. Results showed that 75 percents of visitors were willing to pay more money for visiting this historical place. Also, dummy variables of sex, education level, person monthly income, personal protective tendency and distance between person residence place and Shahr-e-Soukhteh showed that these variables have direct and positive effect on people's willingness to pay in the examined sample. The negative sign of three variant regression coefficients, the recommended price, the respondent age and the number of family members, expressed opposite effect of the mentioned variables on the existence of willingness to pay in the sample. Results implied that the level of visitors and tourists willingness to pay is 4140 Rials. So, according to the historical importance of Shahr-e-Soukhteh and to the rate of visitors willingness to pay, it is necessary that the programmers and liable pay more attention to this region in order to develop tourism and increase the number of visitors and tourists and improve visitors welfare.