Discrete Choice Experiments and a Citizen Jury for Small-Scale Whale Shark Watching Wildlife Tourism

Whale shark watching has become an important nature-based tourism activity in La Paz, where small-scale tour operators have played a key role in conservation through long-term collaboration with several stakeholders and in acting in several activities since 2003. However, these operators are vulnerable due to stricter conservation regulations, intensified competition from larger and foreign firms, and external shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring persistent trade-offs between biodiversity protection and local livelihoods. To inform strategies that reconcile conservation and competitiveness, this study employs a Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE), Citizen Jury, and widely accessible digital platforms, presenting six scenarios to elicit individual willingness to pay (WTP). Results indicate that tourists' maximum WTP ranges from 147 to 195% more for better-trained guides, from 62 to 68% for maritime signaling, from 168 to 171% for monitoring, and from 23 to 37% for vessel improvement, suggesting that conservation-oriented investments can generate economic benefits rather than impose additional costs. The potential collection under these scenarios ranges from USD 1.044 million to USD 8.448 million if the strategies were implemented. The findings imply that investment in human capital, conservation practices, and branding strategies may enhance the resilience and competitiveness of small-scale operators while supporting conservation objectives.