Visitors’ willingness to pay for the conservation of ecotourism resources at Lata Janggut, Jeli, Kelantan

The natural beauty of Lata Janggut is one of the attractions in Jeli, Kelantan. The state of the ecosystem that is still awake and the freshness of the natural resources there has the potential to be a favourite recreational location among locals, especially for those who like outdoor activities. However, preserving the ecosystem requires reasonable financial allocation to maintain the ecotourism area. For ecosystem services, they result in the need to maximize recreational services by charging different entry prices for public and recreational facilities. Due to this, the value of the entry to the recreation area may be set or the price of entry to this ecotourism. This research was conducted to determine visitor satisfaction with the environment, facilities, and services guard there and to examine the relationship between demographic characteristics. The willingness to pay for conserving ecotourism resources in Lata Janggut, Jeli Kelantan. This cross-sectional study uses convenience sampling technique by distributing questionnaires and data analysis was conducted using SPSS 26.0. Data were collected, analyzed and interpreted using descriptive and inferential statistics such as chi-square, t-test, and ANOVA. The study results showed that the respondent's level of satisfaction with the environment is very good, while it is at a good level for facilities and services. There was non-significant relationship between socio-demographics and WTP. Gender was not significant factor (p=0.41). There is no significant difference between the level of income of Visitors and the Willingness to Pay (p-value = 0.574). The number of visitors willing to pay depending on their income level (p-value = 0.009) is significant. Next, we will examine the connection between WTP and the degree of satisfaction of environment, facilities, and services. There is no significant between the level of satisfaction in terms of the environment (p-value = 0.20), but significant value in terms of facilities (p-value = 0.017) and terms of service (p-value = 0.001). In conclusion, tourists who come are satisfied with the environment, facilities, and services, and based on their characteristics, they are willing to pay for ecotourism care in Lata Janggut.