The recreational value of gold coast beaches, Australia: An application of the travel cost method

•We estimate the recreational use value of Gold Coast beaches in Australia using the individual travel cost method.•We experiment with different definitions of travel cost to identify appropriate cost components in using travel cost method.•The value of a single Gold Coast beach visit is estimated to be $19.47 per person.•We analyse the efficiency of the value transfer method.

The Gold Coast beaches are among Australia’s most popular beaches and rank among the world’s best-known beaches. A good understanding of the characteristics of beach users and their recreational use values is of fundamental importance to formulate effective beach management policy. This paper, using the individual travel cost method, estimates the recreational use value of Gold Coast beaches. The value of a single beach visit is estimated to be $19.47 per person. Furthermore, the efficiency of the value transfer method is analysed in this study. To do this, the recreational value of Gold Coast beaches transferred from the relevant studies conducted for other Australian beaches is compared with this study.