a b s t r a c tTourism in protected areas can create considerable income for adjacent communities. Based on faceto-face visitor surveys, the present study measures the structure, size and economic impact of tourist expenditure in the six German national parks Niedersächsisches Wattenmeer, Bayerischer Wald, Eifel, Müritz, Hainich and Kellerwald-Edersee. We find that mean daily expenditure per person of national park visitors is considerably below the national averages for tourists in Germany: day-trippers spend between EUR 7 and 13 per day (national average: EUR 28), whereas overnight visitors spend between EUR 37 and 57 (national average: EUR 120). The proportion of visitors with high national park affinity varies between a maximum of almost 46% in Bayerischer Wald and a minimum of nearly 11% in Niedersächsisches Wattenmeer. Between 49% and 51% of tourist expenditure is captured as direct and indirect income. The total impact of tourism ranges between EUR 525 million in Niedersächsisches Wattenmeer and EUR 1.9 million in Kellerwald-Edersee, reflecting the national parks' distinct trajectories as tourist destinations. In order to increase the economic benefits accruing from national parks regional policy could aim at a qualitative upgrading of tourist services, increased marketing of the unique national park label and the promotion of a diverse regional supply base.

CSIRO Atmospheric Research (http://www.dar.csiro.au) conducts research into weather, climate and atmospheric pollution, concentrating on environmental issues affecting Australia. Our research is directed toward meeting the needs of government, industry and the community. We address issues such as urban and regional air pollution, acid deposition, the enhanced greenhouse effect, ozone depletion, climatic variability and severe weather. See http://www.dar.csiro.au/division/docs/DivisionalBrochure.pdf.The Australian National University Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies (http://cres.anu.edu.au) addresses resource and environmental issues of national and international importance through the development and application of interdisciplinary concepts, theories and methods involving biophysical and socio-economic dimensions. CRES undertakes research and postgraduate training and conducts consultancies for industry and all levels of government. DisclaimerThe projections in this report are based on results from computer models that involve simplifications of real physical processes that are not fully understood. Accordingly, no responsibility will be accepted by CSIRO for the accuracy of the projections inferred from this report or for any person's interpretations, conclusions or actions based on this information.ii

German national parks are increasingly under pressure from land use change and need objective information on economic values associated with different forms of use to help policy-makers resolve conflicting policy goals. To date, a complete cost-benefit analysis of a German national park has not been undertaken. This paper addresses this gap through a study from the Bavarian Forest National Park (BFNP), the oldest and best known park in Germany. The research questions are: (1) Is the designation of the national park economically justified? and (2) Can revenue from park tourism compensate for its costs? Databases used include a visitor and enterprise survey, qualitative interviews and secondary sources; analyses involved several interrelated environmental valuation methods. Results suggest that the BFNP is an economically favourable land use option under most scenarios. At national level, half of the scenarios show a benefit-cost ratio (BCR) greater than 1. At regional level the park acts as a tool for economic development, generating net monetary gains for surrounding counties, with BCRs of over 1 throughout. Tourism contributes to over 60% of the benefits and compensates for more than two-thirds of the costs in half of the scenarios discussed. Key policy implications are listed.

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