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Abstract |
Information-provision is a low-cost way of potentially affecting levels of park use. Providing information about amenities at various parks, along with information on current conditions can affect users choices of where to visit [Shimazaki and Crowley (2014)]. This is similar to how profit maximizing firms provide information (often as advertisements) to attract consumers. However, this tool may not always be used effectively by non-profit-maximizing park managers. Shimazaki et al. (2017) quantified the amount of information available on Japanese national park web sites created by the government managing authority, and investigated the relationship between information and the degree of national park use. They found that the amount of information posted on the authoritys web site is not related to the park visitation. Some internet services provide a platform to exchange information. Social network services allow users to transmit information not only among people with which the user has an established relationship, but also more widely, among people with no previous contact. Other internet services are specially designed to allow people to post public reviews of what they purchased or experienced.Such information on the internet often reflects peoples preferences, based on what they find worth mentioning, providing an indication of their underlying utility functions. For non-marketed goods like public goods and common resources, uncovering the factors affecting peoples perceived quality of experience is crucial for the management of resources. In this study, we investigate what information are park users are transmitting, focusing on subjective information such as user reviews from internet travel services. We also investigate the correlation between the number of review activities and the official visitor counts of parks to see if review activities can be used for estimating the number of park visits. The results of this study would help park management authorities seeking to optimize park user experiences, for example through information provision. |
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