Description
Book SynopsisThis timely book argues that the overcrowding of national parks in the United States represents a social problem in need of public sector action and a policy solution, as no systematic means to address this problem has been implemented either nationally or on a park-by-park basis.
Throughout the book, Albert N. Link provides an innovative pricing solution to the overcrowding of the parks which will help to change the existing status quo. Utilizing a methodology grounded in economics, and expanding the use and policy relevance of the concept of public sector entrepreneurship, the author illustrates how individuals respond to prices and offers a method to estimate the impact of a seasonal entrance fee based on calculated price elasticities of demand. Chapters also provide recommendations for increases in seasonal entrance fees individually for each of the national parks that currently have an entrance fee.
Public Sector Entrepreneurship will be a key resource for academics and students in the fields of entrepreneurship, public management and resource management who are looking to use economics as a framework for analyzing tourism topics, as well as environmental researchers and public policy officials responsible for national parks.
Trade Review‘The overcrowding of national parks around the world is not a new phenomenon. This book offers a classic economic rationing technique – differential prices – as a policy remedy to the overcrowding of U.S. national parks. The implementation of this seasonal pricing scheme is illustrated across several examples of national parks. Professor Link offers here a straightforward solution to an old problem. This is a very valuable book to all of us grappling with the overuse of public assets.’ -- Nicholas Vonortas, The George Washington University, US
Table of ContentsContents: Preface 1. Public sector entrepreneurship: a policy framework 2. Responding to “high altruism” 3. Characteristics of the national parks 4. Benchmarking overcrowded national parks 5. The public good nature of national parks 6. Visitors’ responses to higher entrance fees 7. Impact of policies toward overcrowding: case studies 8. Why not to implement a reservation system for visiting a national park 9. Overcrowding in national parks without entrance fees 10. Public sector entrepreneurship: a restatement of a pricing policy recommendation References Index
