Estimating the Outdoor Recreation Value of Marakan Protected Area Churches (Case Study: Saint Stephanus Church)

According to change global approach of protected areas management plan in relation to tourist attraction in order to fund this areas، the aim of this study was to determine the Outdoor Recreation value of Saint Stephanus church one of the famous churches of Marakan Protected Area thatlocated in boarder between East and West Azerbaijan Province. Estimating the outdoor recreation value of this church can be effective in foresighting the needs، eliminating the shortages، and developing of tourism. The objectives of this study were to estimate outdoor recreation Value of Saint Stephanus Church with Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) and separation of influential factors on visitors'' willingness to pay (WTP) using Heckman two-stage model. Required data was gathered through questionnaires and face-to-face interviews with 321 visitors of the church in 2013. Results showed that 52% of the visitors were willing to pay money for visiting the church. Variables of income، education levels، family size، and sexuality were effective in visitors'' WTP acceptance، and variables of income، family size، education level، age and the Visitor satisfaction from amenities were effective in the rates of WTP. The average of WTP and the annual outdoor recreation value of Saint Stephanus Church was estimated at about 2445 Rials and 317 million Rials، respectively. Therefore، with respect to the great importance and value of Saint Stephanus Church from the view point of visitors، will required that planners to have more attention to this area for tourism development and increasing the number of tourists with increasing facilities and the financing of Marakan protected area and other protected areas.