Sensitivity of whitewater rafting consumers' surplus to pecuniary travel cost specifications

Considerable research has examined how different ways of accounting for onsite and travel time affect surplus estimates from travel cost models. However, little has been done regarding different de®nitions of out-of-pocket costs. Estimates of per trip consumer surplus are developed for a zonal travel cost model for out®tted rafting on the Chattooga River. Nine price de®nitions are used for each of three functional forms. Three price de®nitions are based on mileage rates times round-trip distance, plus out®tter fees. The remaining six de®nitions are based on reported spending, using three different sets of expenditures and two methods of imputing prices for zero-visit zones