Environment and Social Psychology

Are tourists willing to pay conservation fees? A Case Study of CMC Tiga Warna in Malang, Indonesia

Zimo Huang

School of Housing, Building, and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia

Shida Irwana Omar

School of Housing, Building, and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia

Syamsul Bachri

Faculty of Social Science, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang, Indonesia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v10i9.4227

Keywords: Conservation fee, Willingness to pay, CMC Tiga Warna

---

Abstract

Clungup Mangrove Conservation (CMC) Tiga Warna is a community-managed site that currently relies on a flat conservation fee. The present revenue sustains day-to-day operations but is insufficient for long-term mangrove and coral recovery and infrastructure upgrades. To ensure ecotourism sustainability, an increase in the existing fee is being considered. To address this issue, this study assesses tourists’ willingness to pay (WTP) additional fees and identifies the key determinants influencing both WTP decisions and payment amounts. A structured questionnaire survey was conducted among 310 visitors in May 2023. Using logistic regression and multiple linear regression, the study finds that perceived value (PV), institutional trust (IT), age, marital status, education, and occupation significantly affect tourists’ willingness to pay. In contrast, the WTP amount is influenced by ecological cognition (EC), PV, gender, monthly income, and place of residence. On average, visitors are willing to pay IDR 19,353.20, which is higher than the current IDR 10,000 fee. Based on annual visitor numbers in 2022, the estimated economic value of CMC Tiga Warna amounts to IDR 925,859,441.75. In addition, a sensitivity analysis shows that WTP levels vary under different socioeconomic and psychological scenarios, suggesting that fee adjustments should be accompanied by measures that strengthen environmental awareness and ecological cognition. These findings not only provide practical guidance for adjusting the conservation fee at CMC Tiga Warna, but also highlight the value of integrating psychological and socioeconomic determinants in future WTP research on mangrove conservation.

---

References

[1]. 1.Sofian, A., Kusmana, C., Fauzi, A., & Rusdiana, O. (2019). Ecosystem services-based mangrove management strategies in Indonesia: A review. Aquaculture, Aquarium, Conservation & Legislation, 12(1), 151–166.

[2]. 2.Bao, H., Wang, C., Han, L., Wu, S., Lou, L., Xu, B., & Liu, Y. (2020). Resources and environmental pressure, carrying capacity, and governance: A case study of Yangtze river economic belt. Sustainability, 12(4), 1576.

[3]. 3.Nichols, C. R., Zinnert, J., & Young, D. R. (2019). Degradation of coastal ecosystems: Causes, impacts and mitigation efforts. Tomorrow’s Coasts: Complex and Impermanent, 119–136.

[4]. 4.Kurniawansyah, A., Susiloningtyas, D., & Manessa, M. D. M. (2023). Mangrove ecosystem management in Indonesia: Review, limitation, gap, and knowledge. Maritime Technology and Research, 5(3), Article 3. https://doi.org/10.33175/mtr.2023.262310

[5]. 5.Novizantara, A., Mulyadi, A., Tang, U. M., & Putra, R. M. (2022). Calculating economic valuation of mangrove forest in Bengkalis Regency, Indonesia. International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, 17(5), 1629–1634.

[6]. 6.Asuk, S. A., Offiong, E. E., Ifebueme, N. M., & Akpaso, E. O. (2018). Species composition and diversity of mangrove swamp forest in southern Nigeria. Int J Avian & Wildlife Biol, 3(2), 166–171.

[7]. 7.Khairnar, S. O., Solanki, B. V., & Junwei, L. (2019). Mangrove ecosystem-its threats and conservation. Aquafind, College of Fisheries, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, Peoples Republic of China.

[8]. 8.Wang, P. W., & Jia, J.-B. (2012). Tourists’ willingness to pay for biodiversity conservation and environment protection, Dalai Lake protected area: Implications for entrance fee and sustainable management. Ocean & Coastal Management, 62, 24–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2012.03.001

[9]. 9.Baral, N., Stern, M. J., & Bhattarai, R. (2008). Contingent Valuation of Ecotourism in Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal: Implications for Sustainable Park Finance and Local Development. Ecological Economics, 66(2), 218–227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2008.02.004

[10]. 10.De Pourcq, K., Thomas, E., Arts, B., Vranckx, A., Léon-Sicard, T., & Van Damme, P. (2017). Understanding and Resolving Conflict Between Local Communities and Conservation Authorities in Colombia. World Development, 93, 125–135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2016.12.026

[11]. 11.IUCN, T. W. C. U. (2005). Benefits Beyond Boundaries: Proceedings of the Vth IUCN World Parks Congress: Durban, South Africa 8-17 September 2003. Iucn.

[12]. 12.Apdohan, J. R., Lopez, S., & Seronay, R. (2021). Willingness to Pay Towards the Conservation of Ecotourism Resources at Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary, Agusan Del Sur, Philippines. International Journal of Conservation Science, 12, 1163–1170.

[13]. 13.Noriega, J. A., Zapata-Prisco, C., García, H., Hernández, E., Hernández, J., Martinez, R., Santos-Santos, J. H., Pablo-Cea, J. D., & Calatayud, J. (2020). Does ecotourism impact biodiversity? An assessment using dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) as bioindicators in a tropical dry forest natural park. Ecological Indicators, 117, 106580.

[14]. 14.Dharma, P. A., Yulianda, F., & Yulianto, G. (2021). Suitability and Carrying Capacity of Coastal Ecotourism in Clungup Mangrove Conservation (CMC), Malang District, East Java. Economic and Social of Fisheries and Marine Journal, 008(02), 196–210. https://doi.org/10.21776/ub.ecsofim.2021.008.02.04

[15]. 15.Musa, F., Mohd Fozi, N., & Mohd Hamdan, D. D. (2020). Coastal communities’ willingness to pay for mangrove ecotourism at Marudu Bay, Sabah, Malaysia. Journal of Sustainability Science and Management, 15(4), 130–140. https://doi.org/10.46754/jssm.2020.06.013

[16]. 16.Wang, P., & Ji, Y. A. (2023). Tourists’ Willingness to Pay Conservation Fees: The Case of Hulunbuir Grassland, China. Journal of Resources and Ecology, 14(3), 656–666.

[17]. 17.Husamah, H., & Hudha, A. M. (2018). Evaluasi implementasi prinsip ekowisata berbasis masyarakat dalam pengelolaan clungup mangrove conservation sumbermanjing wetan, malang. Jurnal Pengelolaan Sumberdaya Alam dan Lingkungan (Journal of Natural Resources and Environmental Management), 8(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.29244/jpsl.8.1.86-95

[18]. 18.Sumarmi, S., ARINTA, D., SUPRIANTO, A., & ALIMAN, M. (2021). The development of ecotourism with community-based tourism (CBT) in clungup mangrove conservation (CMC) of tiga warna beach for sustainable conservation. Folia Geographica, 63(1), 123.

[19]. 19.Eunike, A., Hardiningtyas, D., Kartika, S. I., & Andronicus. (2018). Sustainability Analysis of Beach and Mangrove Tourism in Clungup, Malang Regency of East Java. Economic and Social Fisheries and Marine, 006(01), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.21776/ub.ecsofim.2018.006.01.01

[20]. 20.Abidin, Z., Setiawan, B., Muhaimin, A. W., & Shinta, A. (2021). The role of coastal biodiversity conservation on sustainability and environmental awareness in mangrove ecosystem of southern Malang, Indonesia. Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity, 22(2).

[21]. 21.Setyawan, A. D., & Winarno, K. (2006). The direct exploitation in the mangrove ecosystem in Central Java and the land use in its surrounding; degradation and its restoration effort. Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity, 7(3).

[22]. 22.Bunting, P., Rosenqvist, A., Lucas, R. M., Rebelo, L.-M., Hilarides, L., Thomas, N., Hardy, A., Itoh, T., Shimada, M., & Finlayson, C. M. (2018). The global mangrove watch—A new 2010 global baseline of mangrove extent. Remote Sensing, 10(10), 1669.

[23]. 23.Dushani, S. N., Aanesen, M., & Vondolia, G. K. (2021). Balancing conservation goals and ecotourism development in coastal wetland management in Sri Lanka: A choice experiment. Ocean & Coastal Management, 210, 105659. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2021.105659

[24]. 24.Bookbinder, M. P., Dinerstein, E., Rijal, A., Cauley, H., & Rajouria, A. (1998). Ecotourism’s support of biodiversity conservation. Conservation Biology, 12(6), 1399–1404.

[25]. 25.Roberts, R. M., Jones, K. W., Seidl, A., Ek, A., & Smith, H. (2017). Conservation finance and sustainable tourism: The acceptability of conservation fees to support the Tambopata National Reserve, Peru. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 25(10), 1353–1366. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2016.1257630

[26]. 26.Idris, I., Hoque, M. E., & Susanto, P. (2022). Willingness to pay for the preservation of urban green space in Indonesia. Cogent Economics & Finance, 10(1), 2008588.

[27]. 27.Iqbal, M. H., & Hossain, M. E. (2022). Tourists’ willingness to pay for restoration of sundarbans mangrove forest ecosystems: A contingent valuation modeling study. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 1–22.

[28]. 28.Harahab, N., Riniwati, H., Utami, T. N., Abidin, Z., & Wati, L. A. (2021). Sustainability analysis of marine ecotourism management for preserving natural resources and coastal ecosystem functions. Environmental Research, Engineering and Management, 77(2), 71–86.

[29]. 29.Riniwati, H., Harahab, N., & Abidin, Z. (2019). A vulnerability analysis of coral reefs in coastal ecotourism areas for conservation management. Diversity, 11(7), 107.

[30]. 30.Yusoh, M. P., Dering, N. F., Mapjabil, J., Latip, N. A., Kumalah, M. J., Noor, H. M., & Hanafi, N. (2022). Assessment of Payment Rates and Willingness to Pay at Tourist Destination—A Comparison Between Kundasang and Kota Belud, Sabah, Malaysia. PLANNING MALAYSIA, 20. https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v20i23.1148

[31]. 31.Jamean, E. S., & Abas, A. (2023). Valuation of visitor perception of urban forest ecosystem services in kuala lumpur. Land, 12(3), 572.

[32]. 32.Musa, F., Nasir, N. S. A., Jaunis, O., & Hamdan, D. D. M. (2021). Exploring Tourists’ Knowledge, Perceptions and Willingness to Pay on Biodiversity Conservation: Insights from Kinabalu Park, Borneo. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 736(1), 012045. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/736/1/012045

[33]. 33.Diswandi, D., & Saptutyningsih, E. (2019). Using contingent valuation method for estimating the willingness to pay for mangrove forest: A study in West Lombok, Indonesia. The 3rd Environment and Natural Resources International Conference.

[34]. 34.Mehrabian, A., & Russell, J. A. (1974). An approach to environmental psychology (pp. xii, 266). The MIT Press.

[35]. 35.Kim, M. J., Lee, C.-K., & Jung, T. (2020). Exploring Consumer Behavior in Virtual Reality Tourism Using an Extended Stimulus-Organism-Response Model. Journal of Travel Research, 59(1), 69–89. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287518818915

[36]. 36.Qiu, H., Wang, X., Wu, M.-Y., Wei, W., Morrison, A. M., & Kelly, C. (2022). The effect of destination source credibility on tourist environmentally responsible behavior: An application of stimulus-organism-response theory. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 31, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2022.2067167

[37]. 37.Cropanzano, R., & Mitchell, M. S. (2005). Social Exchange Theory: An Interdisciplinary Review. Journal of Management, 31(6), 874–900. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206305279602

[38]. 38.Yang, J., Su, K., Zhou, Z., Huang, Y., Hou, Y., & Wen, Y. (2022). The impact of tourist cognition on willing to pay for rare species conservation: Base on the questionnaire survey in protected areas of the Qinling region in China. Global Ecology and Conservation, 33, e01952. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01952

[39]. 39.Cheung, L. T., & Jim, C. Y. (2014). Expectations and willingness-to-pay for ecotourism services in Hong Kong’s conservation areas. International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, 21(2), 149–159.

[40]. 40.Ortega-Rodríguez, C., Vena-Oya, J., Barreal, J., & Józefowicz, B. (2024). How to finance sustainable tourism: Factors influencing the attitude and willingness to pay green taxes among university students. https://hdl.handle.net/10953/3595

[41]. 41.Stern, P. C., Dietz, T., Abel, T., Guagnano, G. A., & Kalof, L. (1999). A Value-Belief-Norm Theory of Support for Social Movements: The Case of Environmentalism. Human Ecology Review, 6(2), 81–97.

[42]. 42.Zeithaml, V. A. (1988). Consumer Perceptions of Price, Quality, and Value: A Means-End Model and Synthesis of Evidence. Journal of Marketing, 52(3), 2–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224298805200302

[43]. 43.Duong, N. T. H., Chi, N. K., Nguyen, H. T., Nguyen, N. T. K., Nguyen, C. P., & Nguyen, U. T. T. (2021). WTPP for ecotourism: The impact of intention, perceived value, and materialism. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 5(5), 1034–1045. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-01-2021-0005

[44]. 44.Batool, N., Wanie, M., Shah, S., & Ahmad, Z. (2024). Tourists’ attitude and willingness to pay on conservation efforts: Evidence from the west Himalayan eco-tourism sites. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-024-04679-2

[45]. 45.Li, H., & Nitanan, K. (2022). Local Visitors’ Willingness to Pay for Conservation Fee at Kampung Kuantan Firefly Park, Kuala Selangor, Malaysia. Journal of Tropical Forest Science, 34(2), 187–198. https://doi.org/10.26525/jtfs2022.34.2.187

[46]. 46.Carson, R. T. (2000). Contingent Valuation: A User’s Guide. Environmental Science & Technology, 34(8), 1413–1418. https://doi.org/10.1021/es990728j

[47]. 47.Hanley, N., & Spash, C. (1996). Cost benefit analysis and the environment. https://philarchive.org/archive/HANCBA-2

[48]. 48.Davis, R. K. (1963). Recreation Planning as an Economic Problem. Natural Resources Journal, 3(2), 239–249.

[49]. 49.Mzek, T., Samdin, Z., & W. Mohamad, W. N. (2022). Assessing visitors’ preferences and willingness to pay for the Malayan Tiger conservation in a Malaysian National Park: A choice experiment method. Ecological Economics, 191, 107218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2021.107218

[50]. 50.Panwanitdumrong, K., & Chen, C.-L. (2022). Are tourists willing to pay for a marine litter-free coastal attraction to achieve tourism sustainability? Case study of Libong Island, Thailand. Sustainability, 14(8), 4808.

[51]. 51.Venkatachalam, L. (2004). The contingent valuation method: A review. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 24(1), 89–124. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0195-9255(03)00138-0

[52]. 52.Susilo, H., Takahashi, Y., & Yabe, M. (2017). Evidence for Mangrove Restoration in the Mahakam Delta, Indonesia, Based on Households’ Willingness to Pay. Journal of Agricultural Science, 9, 30. https://doi.org/10.5539/jas.v9n3p30

[53]. 53.Fauziyah, Agustriani, F., Oktavianis, R. E., Ulqodry, T. Z., Aprianti, N., & Ardani. (2023). Willingness to pay for mangrove conservation in Sembilang National Park, South Sumatra, Indonesia. Ocean & Coastal Management, 243, 106756. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2023.106756

[54]. 54.Asih, E. N. N., & Nugraha, W. A. (2020). Marine tourism in Gili Labak Island: Willingness to pay method as an effort to preserve coral reef in Gili Labak Island, Madura, Indonesia. Aquaculture, Aquarium, Conservation & Legislation, 13(6).

[55]. 55.Andrimida, A., & Anggara, A. (2022). Burung—Burung di Kawasan CMC Tiga Warna. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.23321.90727

[56]. 56.Sondak, C. F., Kaligis, E. Y., & Bara, R. A. (2019). Economic valuation of Lansa Mangrove Forest, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity, 20(4), 978–986. https://doi.org/10.13057/biodiv/d200407

[57]. 57.Song, X.-H., Cho, T.-D., Lang, X.-X., & Piao, Y.-J. (2013). Influencing the Willingness to Pay for Urban Park Service Functions. Journal of Environmental Science International, 22(10), 1279–1285. https://doi.org/10.5322/JESI.2013.22.10.1279

[58]. 58.Liu, W., Lin, Y., & Hsieh, C. (2021). Assessing the ecological value of an urban forest park: A case study of Sinhua Forest Park in Taiwan. Forests, 12(6), Article 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/f12060806

[59]. 59.Peng, W. (2018). Study on the Willingness to Pay the Tourists in the Ecological Environment Protection of Huashan Scenic Spot. Journal of Educational Theory and Management, 2(1), 27–32. https://doi.org/10.26549/jetm.v2i1.691

[60]. 60.Vo Trung, H., Viet Nguyen, T., & Simioni, M. (2020). Willingness to pay for mangrove preservation in Xuan Thuy National Park, Vietnam: Do household knowledge and interest play a role? Journal of Environmental Economics and Policy, 9(4), 402–420.

[61]. 61.Salpage, N. D., Aanesen, M., & Armstrong, C. W. (2022). Willingness to pay for mangrove restoration to reduce the climate change impacts on ecotourism in Rekawa coastal wetland, Sri Lanka. https://munin.uit.no/handle/10037/27229

[62]. 62.Suprapto, D., Kirana, M., Susilowati, I., & Fauzi, A. (2015). Economic Valuation of Mangrove Restoration in Indonesia. Jurnal Ekonomi Pembangunan: Kajian Masalah Ekonomi Dan Pembangunan, 16(2), 121. https://doi.org/10.23917/jep.v16i2.1457

[63]. 63.Saptutyningsih, E., & Selviana, R. (2017). Valuing Ecotourism of a Recreational Site in Ciamis District of West Java, Indonesia. Journal of Economics and Policy, 10(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.15294/jejak.v10i1.9134

[64]. 64.Wardani, E. P., Hutasuhut, S., & Mulyana, R. (2021). An analysis of willingness to pay on visitors of mangrove forest at sicanang—Belawan ecotourism: International Conference on Strategic Issues of Economics, Business and, Education (ICoSIEBE 2020), Medan, Indonesia. https://doi.org/10.2991/aebmr.k.210220.051

[65]. 65.Bateman, I., & Willis, K. (1999). Valuing Environmental Preferences: Theory and Practice of the Contingent Valuation Method in the US, EU and Developing Countries. Oxford University Press.

[66]. 66.Ezeh, P. C., & Dube, K. (2024). Willingness to Pay in Tourism and Its Influence on Sustainability. Sustainability, 16(23), Article 23. https://doi.org/10.3390/su162310630

[67]. 67.Lan, B., Truong, D., Huan, L., & Hang, N. (2024). Valuation of tourists’ willingness to pay for ecological conservation towards a sustainable financial mechanism for national parks: An empirical case of Cuc Phuong National Park, Red River delta, Vietnam. Environmental Research Communications, 6. https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ad7fbd

[68]. 68.Shrivastava, S., & Mukhopadhyay, K. (2022). Valuation and financing of National Parks in South and South East Asia: A meta-analysis. Journal of Environmental Economics and Policy, 11(4), 396–419.

[69]. 69.Atmodjo, E., Lamers, M., & Mol, A. (2017). Financing marine conservation tourism: Governing entrance fees in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. Marine Policy, 78, 181–188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2017.01.023

[70]. 70.Tuan, T. H., My, N. H. D., Anh, L. T. Q., & Toan, N. V. (2014). Using contingent valuation method to estimate the WTP for mangrove restoration under the context of climate change: A case study of Thi Nai lagoon, Quy Nhon city, Vietnam. Ocean & Coastal Management, 95, 198–212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2014.04.008