Dang, TDTHu, BaidingGan, Christopher2022-03-112021-12-2820212021-12-062212-6821https://hdl.handle.net/10182/14702As an important area in terms of biodiversity and fish stocks in Vietnam, Cu Lao Cham or Cham Islands (CLC) marine protected area (MPA) is under increasing threat from human activities. Conservation efforts have recently been implemented but economic analysis of the CLC MPA’s natural values did not investigate what may affect policy decisions on CLC MPA’s sustainable development. Using a structured questionnaire and a payment card technique (based on the contingent valuation method), we estimate visitors’ willingness to pay (WTP) for conservation of marine resources in the CLC MPA. The log-normal regression results indicate that the visitors’ WTP for conservation is affected by their characteristics, perceptions of environmental protection and conservation, and their assessment of the current CLC MPA entrance fee. Visitors are WTP an additional amount of US$2.26 per person for conservation while visiting the CLC MPA. This indicates that with the introduction of the proposed entrance fee (the mean WTP added to the current entrance fee), the CLC MPA management would not only have sufficient funds for their management and conservation programmes, but also that the number of visitors may decline slightly, which would reduce some of the pressure on the environment, natural resources, and coral reefs.pp.76-94en© 2021 Institution for Marine and Island Cultures, Mokpo National University.conservationCu Lao Chamentrance feemarine protected areawillingness to payJournal Article10.21463/jmic.2021.10.2.052212-68212022-02-17ANZSRC::410401 Conservation and biodiversityANZSRC::310305 Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology)ANZSRC::389902 Ecological economicsANZSRC::350610 Pricing (incl. consumer value estimation)ANZSRC::350803 Tourism managementANZSRC::350804 Tourism marketingANZSRC::3604 Performing artshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives