Valoración económica de los beneficios ecosistémicos de turismo en el Parque Nacional Natural el Cocuy

Abstract

In this research work, an estimate has been made of the total economic value of the ecosystem benefits that protected natural areas provide to the tourism sector. The indirect method of travel costs has been used to carry out the indirect valuation of said services in the El Cocuy National Natural Park. To achieve this, the ecosystem benefits that protected natural areas offer to the productive chain of the tourism sector and for which visitors are willing to pay have been identified. The economic valuation generated by the ecosystem benefits of protected natural areas in the Colombian tourism sector was carried out to facilitate the estimation of the costs of conservation of ecosystems and in this way contribute to protecting biodiversity after the assumption of sustainable use (environmental , social and economic) of natural resources. This travel cost estimate was made for the specific case of the El Cocuy National Natural Park, since it is one of the most visited parks in the country and due to its geographical location, visitors have to make a considerable consumption of private goods. associated with displacement and permanence in the tourist site in magnitudes that allow establishing a specific travel cost for this protected area. Additionally, as it is the only focal tourist attraction in the north of Boyacá, the aim was to reduce as much as possible the bias due to multipurpose trips that could alter the cost estimate. It is also important to mention that the surveys, systematization and data processing were carried out during the first half of 2023, therefore, the entire cost estimate is determined by the prices in force at the time of the analysis and costing of the private goods consumed during the periods. trips. Thus, the estimation of travel costs was carried out by completing 80 visitor surveys that provided the necessary data to run the mathematical model of the Travel Costs method, finding as a result that the Economic Valuation of tourism ecosystem services of the National Natural Park is COP $100,436`734,881.