Market structure and environmental amenities in hedonic pricing of rural cottages

Abstract

Site-specific characteristics are attributes of tourism services for consumers and a factor influencing their costs and quality for producers. These services are a fine illustration of territorial rents. Using estimates from hedonic price equations, we test the role of environmental/territorial variables as services differentiation tools in the context of a non-competitive market, and recover the value of territorial rent generated by tourism managers' strategies. Two territories of reference are chosen, one currently benefiting from the renewed interest of the public, and a usual tourist destination. The results of a comparative analysis suggest that tourists' preferences for new destinations, combined with firms' strategies generate some catching up effect by emerging territories.ENVIRONMENTAL VALUATION; HEDONIC METHOD; SERVICE DIFFERENTIATION; TOURISM