An empirical investigation of the effects of entrance fees on national park visitors

The budget reduction to public lands in the U.S. press parks to generate own revenues. Implementing entrance fees is considered by park management, but there is controversy surrounding the potential impacts on visitation and revenue. Drawing insights from the zero-price effect and the transactional utility theory, this study conducted two separate written vignette experiments targeting different populations to examine the effects of entrance fees on national park visitors’ experiences and behavioural intentions. Participants in each experiment were randomised to one of the three entrance fee conditions. They then read a written vignette describing a visit to a national park and completed a series of survey questions regarding their park experience and behavioural intentions. A total of 272 and 279 responses was gathered in each experiment, respectively. The results revealed that entrance fees do not influence satisfaction. However, the effects of entrance fees on perceived price value and behavioural intentions were found to be mixed. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.