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Is the Sri Lankan ecotourism industry threatened by climate change? A case study of Rekawa coastal wetland using contingent visitation approach

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 December 2019

Nesha Dushani Salpage ,
Margrethe Aanesen Open the ORCID record for Margrethe Aanesen [Opens in a new window]  and
Oscar Amarasinghe
Nesha Dushani Salpage
Affiliation:
UiT – Arctic University of Norway, Tromso, Norway Faculty of Fisheries and Ocean Science, Ocean University of Sri Lanka, Tangalle, Sri Lanka
Margrethe Aanesen*
Affiliation:
UiT – Arctic University of Norway, Tromso, Norway
Oscar Amarasinghe
Affiliation:
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna, Mapalana, Kamburupitiya, Sri Lanka
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: margrethe.aanesen@uit.no
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Abstract

This study investigates intended visitation behavior of tourists toward Rekawa wetland under anticipated climate change (CC) scenarios. An interview-based contingent visitation survey was conducted with 365 foreign and domestic tourists to estimate the effects of CC on future visitation. Based on two IPCC scenarios using two direct and three indirect climatic factors, we composed a CC environmental index. The results show a decline in number of trips equal to 43 per cent and 53 per cent under scenarios 1 and 2 respectively, but the difference is not significant. Foreign and domestic tourists differ significantly with regard to socio-demographic characteristics and beliefs about CC effects at Rekawa. Controlling for such differences, we demonstrate that foreign tourists are less likely than domestic tourists to reduce future visitation to Rekawa due to CC impacts. Still, the future of ecotourism at Rekawa wetland is at risk if adaptation measures are not taken to meet CC impacts.

Keywords

climate change environmental indexclimate change scenarioscoastal wetlandcontingent visitation surveyintended visitation behavior
Type
Research Article
Information
Environment and Development Economics , Volume 25 , Issue 3 , June 2020 , pp. 226 - 243
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019

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