Papers by Aliza Fleischer
Social Science Research Network, 2023
RePEc: Research Papers in Economics, Aug 1, 2005
We analyze rural-urban land allocation in light of the increasing environmental role of agricultu... more We analyze rural-urban land allocation in light of the increasing environmental role of agricultural landscape. The amenity value of farmland varies across crops and as a result affects the optimal crop mix in addition to its effect on rural-urban land allocation. Investigating the effects of population and income growth processes, we find that, contrary to market outcomes, the socially optimal allocation may call for more farmland preservation under both processes. In an empirical application to a region in Israel we find that the extent of market undersupply of farmland is substantial and that population growth calls for more farmland preservation at the expense of urban land.
Social Science Research Network, 2020
Traditionally managed agrarian landscapes provide several cultural ecosystem services (CES). Stil... more Traditionally managed agrarian landscapes provide several cultural ecosystem services (CES). Still, CES are often not adequately considered in decision-making-partly because of challenges in their quantification and economic valuation. We show that a state-of-the-art application of an economic valuation method to CES can generate meaningful data for supporting real-world, regional decision-making processes. After qualitative pre-studies (semi-structured interviews, stakeholder workshop) and a pilot study (n = 117), a discrete choice experiment (n = 252 respondents) was administered to a random sample of citizens in the Visp region of the Central Swiss Alps, a site with traditional agrarian landscapes. The design of the choice experiment followed an ecosystem services approach, and uses visualizations to support valuation of aesthetic landscape changes. A response rate of 43% was achieved. Citizen support was expressed for agricultural heritage (P < 0.001) and biodiversity-rich dry grasslands (P < 0.001). Aesthetic impacts of settlement extension (P < 0.001) and of grassland intensification (P < 0.001) reduced the economic value of development options impacting the Visp landscape. Estimated marginal willingness-topay ranged from 410 CHF (1 CHF approx. 0.8 EUR in 2013)/person/year for 60 additional ha of dry grassland to À833 CHF for the visual impact of settlement expansion (by changes of the tax bill).
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, Nov 28, 2010
The eastern Mediterranean faces a severe water crisis: water supply decreases due to climate chan... more The eastern Mediterranean faces a severe water crisis: water supply decreases due to climate change, while demand increases due to rapid population growth. The GLOWA Jordan River project generates science-based management strategies for maximizing water productivity under global climate change. We use a novel definition of water productivity as the full range of services provided by landscapes per unit blue (surface) and green (in plants and soil) water. Our combined results from climatological, ecological, economic and hydrological studies suggest that, in Israel, certain landscapes provide high returns as ecosystem services for little input of additional blue water. Specifically, cultural services such as recreation may by far exceed that of food production. Interestingly, some highly valued landscapes (e.g. rangeland) appear resistant to climate change, making them an ideal candidate for adaptive land management. Vice versa, expanding irrigated agriculture is unlikely to be sustainable under global climate change. We advocate the inclusion of a large range of ecosystem services into integrated land and water resources management. The focus on cultural services and integration of irrigation demand will lead to entirely different but productive water and land allocation schemes that may be suitable for withstanding the problems caused by climate change.
Journal of Agricultural Economics, Jul 1, 2003
We offer a procedure to evaluate the recreational benefits of open spaces without the need to con... more We offer a procedure to evaluate the recreational benefits of open spaces without the need to consider individual sites. Our procedure accounts for both the allocation (between the different types of open spaces) and participation (total number of trips) decisions. The model is applied to estimate the recreational benefits of beaches, urban parks and national parks in Israel. The difference between our benefit estimates and those obtained from a model that accounts only for the allocation decisions (in which the total number of recreational trips is assumed given) measures the substitution effect between types of open spaces. We find that the substitution effect is quite moderate, ranging between 29 percent for urban parks and 47 percent for beaches.
Current Issues in Tourism, Feb 10, 2023
Journal of Travel Research, Nov 20, 2014
When travelers book hotels online, they are typically provided with a list of relevant hotels. Al... more When travelers book hotels online, they are typically provided with a list of relevant hotels. Although presenting hotels on the screen in a list format seems appropriate for organizing the information, it creates a new (spurious) attribute for them: their position on the list. We tested experimentally whether the hotel’s position on the list affects its likelihood of being selected. Results revealed a nonlinear effect of hotel position on the list on choice: hotels that were listed at the top and bottom of the list were more likely to be chosen than those listed in the middle. This study suggests that even trivial web design choices, such as the choice of presenting data in lists, might result in nontrivial consequences on the behavior of prospective customers.
Annals of Tourism Research, Oct 1, 2000
The promotion of small-scale tourism is intuitively perceived as a suitable form of economic deve... more The promotion of small-scale tourism is intuitively perceived as a suitable form of economic development for rural areas. However, its impact is controversial and not always obvious. To examine these issues, this paper presents an empirical analysis of public support to small-scale tourism enterprises in rural areas in Israel. Using the tools of costeffectiveness and cost±bene®t analysis, public assistance for this type of activity is shown to be able to generate considerable returns. Methodological issues in this kind of analysis are also discussed and the policy implications arising with respect to the suitability of different forms of tourism activity in rural areas are presented.
Social Science Research Network, 2015
Tourism Management, Aug 1, 2011
Two large tourism industries, travel and hospitality, are strongly affected by changes in househo... more Two large tourism industries, travel and hospitality, are strongly affected by changes in household demand for vacations. In recent years, rising income and declining prices per unit of quality have led to changes in patterns of household vacation consumption. To understand the impact of these changes on the travel and hospitality industries, we develop a theoretical model distinguishing between travel and on-site expenditures and apply it to Israeli data. We find that under certain circumstances, the changes in income and prices are responsible for a shift toward multiple, short vacations. This trend can be a boon to the travel industry but a disadvantage for the hospitality industry. Both industries are expected to face a rise in the demand for high-quality products.
Routledge eBooks, Jun 17, 2013
To a great extent, tourism small firms share much in common the general small business population... more To a great extent, tourism small firms share much in common the general small business population. Barriers to entry are low, activities generally center on niche markets, the entrepreneur is the center of the small firm universe and personal equity capital is likely to form the initial resources of the business. Furthermore, tourism SME's like other small firms invariably have a distinct local orientation. They are likely to be locally owned, consume local inputs and generate larger local multipliers than larger enterprises. More than anything else however, interest in tourism SME's has been centered on their perceived employment benefits (Hudson & Townsend 1992; Wanhill 2000). Public support for small tourism enterprises is often couched in terms of creating job opportunities to deal with cyclical unemployment, diversifying economic opportunities and generating supplementary income. Small tourism enterprises ranging from family lodgings, through low-investment recreation operators (jeep rides, cycling trails) to traditional food and transportation activities (country restaurants, guided tours, etc.) are often viewed as having under-utilized capacity. When demand picks up they can easily assimilate under-used resources, accommodating extra labor without the need for extra investment. In this way, assistance for small tourism business should yield positive employment effects. But do small tourism firms really warrant a plethora of dedicated assistance programs aside from the regular arsenal available to small firms? Is their response to public support schemes any more pronounced than that of the general small firm population? This chapter endeavors to answer these questions by comparing the short-run effects of an assistance program on small tourism firms and a sample of other similar (non-tourism) small firms. The attention given in the literature to the employment effects of small firms (for a review and critique see Davis et al. 1996), often means a neglect of other indicators of SME performance such as output growth and productivity. In the context of assistance programs, the effects on different performance measures, such as employment and output
Springer eBooks, 1991
Ever since the initial development of Input-Output (I-O) models by Wassily Leontief (1951), they ... more Ever since the initial development of Input-Output (I-O) models by Wassily Leontief (1951), they have been given a great deal of attention by economists and national and regional planning authorities throughout the world. These authorities have recognized the potential usefulness of this tool in simplifying and guiding the planning process. Indeed, the increased interest brought about significant advances, both methodologically and empirically, which extend the range of areas and problems that could be handled by I-O models far beyond those originally intended by Leontief.
Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Jul 1, 2011
Farmers can respond to climate change by modifying their technologies or management practices, or... more Farmers can respond to climate change by modifying their technologies or management practices, or both. In this paper, we examine the choice of crop, irrigation, and cover as a bundled decision by a farmer. Using discrete choice analysis and a cross section of farms from Israel, we test whether these decisions are sensitive to climate and find that they are. In the case of Israel, the farmers completely substitute capital for climate. Simulating increase in temperature suggests that warming would lead Israeli farmers to shift mainly to orchards under cover and irrigation. But it is likely that bundling adaptations will provide flexibility and sustainability for future farmers in many locations under climate change conditions.
Current Issues in Tourism, Jun 1, 2023
Tourism Management, Sep 1, 1997
A national census of bed and breakfast (B&B) operations in the rural regions of Israel identified... more A national census of bed and breakfast (B&B) operations in the rural regions of Israel identified the characteristics of the operators and guests. By comparing the results of this study with those conducted in Europe and North America, it was possible to conclude that rural tourism is, in many but not all respects, similar throughout the world. Like rural tourism businesses in other parts of the world, most Israeli operators went into the business in order to supplement their income and enable them to stay on the farm. The typical B&B operation was found to be a small business that operates only during a short season, and generates a relatively low income. The market segment attracted to these type of vacations were domestic young families with children living at home, possessing college education and earning above-average incomes.
Journal of Travel Research
We employed a differentiated goods market analysis where we utilized, in addition to the prevaili... more We employed a differentiated goods market analysis where we utilized, in addition to the prevailing goods’ attributes, different types of the sellers’ attributes including trust indicators. We incorporated both sets of attributes into a structural model of the whole market including demand and pricing equations with the hotels as an outside good. Applying the model to Stockholm’s Airbnb market reveals that hosts’ attributes significantly affect market performance. Simulations of market scenarios show that the very high review scores and the Superhost certification help Airbnb compete with hotels and increase profitability. We also show that the “Airbnb plus” luxury program, which makes the apartments a closer substitute for hotels, leads to an increase in Airbnb’s market welfare. Our analysis provides a framework for understanding the full impact of the different attributes of the products, their providers, and their management in the sharing-economy accommodation market.
Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights
The tourism industry faces a dilemma. To grow tourism expenditures, industry decision makers must... more The tourism industry faces a dilemma. To grow tourism expenditures, industry decision makers must either increase capac-ity or improve quality. The ability to decompose tourism expenditures into their quality and quantity components can pro-vide insight to this process. In this study, a theoretical model of household demand for tourism was developed, distinguishing between quality and quantity of the households ’ vacations. Income and price elasticities for both level of quality and number of vacation days are derived. By applying this model to Israeli data, it was found that about half of the increase in vacation demand, measured in quality units, is due to increases in the level of vacation quality, and the other half to increases in the number of vacation days.
The case of flights safety lends itself as a natural case study for choice under of information a... more The case of flights safety lends itself as a natural case study for choice under of information asymmetry that involves dread risk and emotional factors. Specifically it allows one to experiment how the releasing of information will affect consumer choice. Previous studies, which followed the deregulation of commercial aviation, raised concerns about the corresponding potential for a marked deterioration in airline safety. Measures to prevent that decline were subsequently proposed. Specifically, it was argued that the public sector should establish and release flight safety indicators in addition to accidents’ statistics, which are currently available. It was argued that such safety indicators will also enable airlines to diversify their safety offerings. Underlying this argument are the assumptions that consumers’ flight safety preferences vary and that, provided with safety information, consumers will use it when making decisions. The present work, however, refutes the first assu...
Ecological Economics, 2018
The value of most ecosystem services invariably slips through national accounts. Even when these ... more The value of most ecosystem services invariably slips through national accounts. Even when these values are estimated, they are allocated without any particular spatial referencing. Little is known about the spatial and distributional effects arising from changes in ecosystem service provision. This paper estimates spatial equity in ecosystem services provision using a dedicated data disaggregation algorithm that allocates 'synthetic' socioeconomic attributes to households and with accurate geo-referencing. A GIS-based automated procedure is operationalized for three different ecosystem in Israel. A nonlinear function relates household location to each ecosystem: beaches, urban parks and national parks. Benefit measures are derived by modeling household consumer surplus as a function of socioeconomic attributes and distance from the ecosystem. These aggregate measures are spatially disaggregated to households. Results show that restraining access to beaches causes a greater reduction in welfare than restraining access to a park. Progressively, high income households lose relatively more in welfare terms than low income households from such action. This outcome is reversed when distributional outcomes are measured in terms of housing price classes. Policy implications of these findings relate to implications for housing policies that attempt to use new development to generate social heterogeneity in locations proximate to ecosystem services.
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Papers by Aliza Fleischer