The Effects of Environmental Value Orientations and Experience-Use History on the Conservation Value of a National Park

National parks are protected areas where special efforts are taken to conserve wildlife species and their habitats. However, the management of parks presents many diverse challenges. One effective mitigation strategy is understanding and improving the connections between environmental awareness and responsible behavior. This study examined this relationship by integrating the value orientations and environmental attitudes of individuals into the developmental process to understand individual conservation behavioral intentions measured as willingness to pay (WTP). The conceptual framework was constructed on the premise that the WTP is hierarchically developed: first, from value orientations and experience-use history, and, second, from attitudes toward national park management. Mt. Seorak National Park has faced diverse problems, including land use conflict from the development of cable cars and high-speed railroad tunnels through the park, and was chosen as a study site. The data were collected from 800 respondents through an online survey that considered the geographical area of residence. This study employed a confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling along with a contingent valuation method to measure WTP. The findings from the study indicated that WTP was connected to specific dimensions of value orientations, attitudes, and experience-use history. The theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.