Page 9 - Management Digest Udyama Vol 1 issue 2

The study found LKR 112.11,
LKR 95.37 and LKR 85.38 as
the maximum conservation tax
that visitors were willing to pay
for conserving elephants at MNP,
WNP, and UNP respectively. The
overall average willingness to pay
as a conservation tax was LKR
98.76 per visitor per visit while
the existing park entrance fee
to a national park is LKR 60.00
per person excluding taxes. If
the total annual allocation by the
Government for mitigating HEC
is LKR 450 million, from these
three parks alone, 12% of the
total expenses can be recovered.
The resultant economic values
thus constitute useful and reliable
information for policy makers to
make policy decisions regarding
the levying of a conservation
tax on visitors to national parks
for mitigating HEC. In addition,
public perception of elephant
conservation, as evident from
the survey, would be of value in
generating more awareness in
society regarding the importance
of elephant conservation.

Prof. Wasantha Rathnayake
Vice-chancellor
Ocean University Sri Lanka

Professor in Environmental Management
Department of Tourism Management
Faculty of Management Studies
Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka

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