Tourist Preferences and Externalties of Views of Wind Turbines
Date
2016-10-25
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Department of Applied Economics and Statistics, University of Delaware, Newark, DE.
Abstract
Previous research about the potential visual disamenity of wind turbines has used stated preference methods or hedonic studies of home prices. This study uses a field experiment of tourists on a ferry to evaluate the impact of wind turbines on tourism. Tourists are given an opportunity to purchase a chance for a weekend hotel stay that varied in quality and by its distance from and view of a large turbine. Results from a within-subject study of 65 tourists suggest that tourists prefer higher quality hotel rooms, being farther from the turbine (up to 1.5 miles), and views that do not include the turbine. Thus, the placement of on-shore turbines may have a larger negative economic impact that previously estimated.
Description
Keywords
Visual Disamenities, Wind Turbines, Tourism, Field Experiment