Understanding preferences for pricing policies in Japan's national parks using the best-worst scaling method

This study attempts to analyze Japan?s pricing policy alternatives for protected area management by assessing the general public?s preferences through best?worst scaling. Through best?worst scaling, researchers can quantitatively understand people?s preferences with fewer burdens. The conditional logit model showed that the mean response of the respondents placed a relatively high value on strategies for a ?general entrance fee,? ?fees for use,? and ?licenses and permits.? All these ways of collecting fees are compulsory. However, an outcome of the latent class model revealed a segment of the population that deemed ?voluntary fees? to be the most desirable form of making a contribution. Compared with evaluation via a Likert scale, employing the best?worst scaling method avoided response biases and provided deeper findings through choice probabilities.

Automated summary

The study found that general entrance fees, fees for use, and licenses and permits, which are compulsory, were highly valued by respondents, but there was also a segment of the population that considered voluntary fees to be more desirable. Using the best-worst scaling method helped avoid response biases and provided deeper insights compared to evaluation with a Likert scale.