Valuing tourism to a historic World War II national memorial

Abstract

This study contributes to the existing literature on valuing visitation to an important cultural heritage site. Pearl Harbor National Memorial in Hawaii remembers and honors those that served the United States in the Pacific battles of World War II. Although historic and cultural monuments and memorials comprise a substantial portion of the U.S. National Park System, there is little research into the economic benefits such sites provide to visitors. These benefits are a critical component of planning and management decisions based on an economic efficiency criterion. This study contributes to the literature by quantifying the economic value derived from visitation to Pearl Harbor National Memorial, home of the USS Arizona Memorial. Using data from a recent visitor survey, we explore the motivations for visiting the site and how such motivations may influence these values. These findings have significant implications, demonstrating a substantial return on the public's investment in a unique historic site and recent investments in maintaining the site for safety and an enhanced visitor experience.