| Abstract: |
This study elaborates a psychographics profile of the tourists visiting the
Itaúnas State Park (Parque Estadual de Itaúnas), Espirito Santo, Brazil, and
estimates the recreative use economic value for the Park, using a
psychographics approach of the Travel Cost Method (TCM). It was observed that
tourists in the same psychographics profile demand similar transformations,
while there was a noticeable difference between tourists in different
profiles. The alocentrics and near-alocentrics visitors demand a more natural
environment, while the other profiles demand more transformations. The Itaúnas
State Park receives close to 215 thousands visitors per year. The annual
benefits generated to the universe of visitors was estimated in R$
32.758.992,03 and the economic value of the Park recreative utility was R$
116.010.963,30 per year. The results suggested the possibility to manage not
only the overall number of visitors, but also the different demands for new
facilities/improvements. Therefore, it may be possible to intervene
conscientiously in the pace and types of local transformations by effective
demand management. |