Estimating the Community's Willingness to Pay for the Protection of the Caspian Sea Coast of Māzandarān Province (New Evidence of the Conditional Valuation Method)

The Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) and a single bounded selection questionnaire were used in this study to identify the protection value of the coasts of the Caspian Sea in Māzandarān province and the tourists' willingness to pay (WTP) for these coasts. Also, using the probit model, the willingness to pay was measured, and the parameters of this model were estimated. The research sample included 1524 tourists of these coasts in the spring of 2019. The findings showed that the average willingness of tourists to pay monthly for the protection of these coasts in the spring of 2019 was 14964 Tomans and for all tourists was about 230 billion and 199 million Tomans per month. Based on the results of the regression model, the variables of the bid price, individuals' income, and level of education of tourists have been the most important factors influencing the willingness of tourists to pay for the protection of the Caspian Sea coast of Māzandarān province. These results can be a good guide for policymakers and planners of the tourism industry in Māzandarān province.