Testing a meta-analysis model for benefit transfer in international outdoor recreation

The economic values of outdoor recreation are estimated using a benefit tra nsfer approach in which one applies existing consumer surplus measures to v alue the resources at a new site. In this article, a benefit transfer study was conducted based on meta-analysis of existing research in outdoor recre ation use values of the United States from 1967 to 1998. The meta-analysis method was used to estimate a meta-regression model, resulting in a benefit transfer function that could be applied to estimate a wide range of recrea tion activity values in other countries. The estimated meta-model was teste d using original out-of-sample studies from countries around the world for international benefit transfer purposes. The tests reveal that there is mix ed evidence in using meta-analysis of existing studies in outdoor recreatio n in the United States to value the recreational resources in other countri es that are used by tourists. In the best case, 18 correlation coefficients between meta-predicted and out-of-sample values were positive and signific ant at the 5% level or greater, but nine of the 18 t-tests indicated a sign ificant difference between the two sets of values at the 10% level. However , the absolute average percentage error of the meta-predictions was 28%, wh ich may be acceptable for many benefit transfer applications. (C) 2001 Else vier Science B.V. All rights reserved.