Estimating recreational values of coastal zones

The present study tries to improve our understanding of why some people value coastal zone using attitudinal and preference factors in a Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) study. Specifically, it aims at public preferences for improving the quality (protection) of Pagasitikos coastal area in Greece and explores the influence of environmental attitude on preference to people’s willingness to pay (WTP) coastal zone conservation. It also presents the results of a discrete CVM survey which investigates households’ WTP for a set of wetland attributes. The proposed approach uses applied methodological methods like Principal Components and Cluster Analyses together with logistic regression. Various demographic variables (as education and income) together with people’s preferences for coastal zone show a strong impact on WTP and the specific amounts stated. At a second stage people who accept the CVM scenario results and grouped into two segments, with different attitude against coastal zone management and ecological view.