RegioEx: Recreational Use of Forests - Quantification of Regional Economic Externalities

Project Information

Recreation is one of several services forests provide to society. The recreational use of forests has effects on regional economies. The regional economic impacts resulting from the recreational use of forests are positive externalities of forests (e.g. quietness, air quality) as well as positive externalities of forest use and forestry (e.g. tourist infrastructure such as paths, benches and signs). These regional economic impacts are considered to be externalities because they are effective outside of forests and with actors such as hotels and restaurants which do not contribute for the production of those services.

The research project quantifies the recreational use of forests by means of regional economic concepts and methods. The empirical analysis consists of two parts:

Regional Economic Impact Analyis: The expenditures of visitors are identified by means of standardised interviews.
Conjoint Analysis: The visitors’ affinity to forests is investigated by means of a conjoint analysis.

The case study areas are the Sihlwald close to city of Zurich and the Bergell (Val Bregaglia).

Funding

The research project is supported by the State Secretariat for Education and Research SER in the frame of COST Action E45 European Forest Externalities EUROFOREX.

Publications

Vogt, L., Pütz, M. (2011): Zur Freizeitnutzung von Schweizer Wäldern: Ihre Bedeutung für die regionale Ökonomie.Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Forstwesen, 162 (11), 396-404.