Economic Assessment for the Recreation Value of Al-Sunut Forest Reserve in Khartoum State, Sudan

Abstract

This study aims to present a methodological framework for estimating the recreational value as part of the ecosystem’s services provided by the Sudanese forests. The number of visitors ready to pay for the forest’s services has been analyzed using the individual travel cost method (ITCM). The data were collected using questionnaires with 640 visitors randomly participating at the forest site, and respondents’ results were analyzed using SPSS software v21. Further analysis of ITCM was performed using analysis of moment structure. The linear regression model is used to estimate the effects of variables, like socioeconomic variables, on the frequency of the visits to assess the recreational value of the forest site. The results showed that the consumer’s excess for each visitor was 21,500 Sudanese pounds (SDG), and travel costs, age, income, distance, and family size of visitors affect the recreational use of the site. Most of the visitors were students, with the majority of their ages ranging between 21 and 30. An additional discovery indicated that higher-income visitors were more willing to travel. These encouraging findings are a helpful guide for planning the future management of forests for recreational uses. This meant that forests offer great recreational value, which might help the Forestry Office ensure that natural forests are planned for and used sustainably.