摘要：This research seeks to produce more robust, less biased estimates from the two-constraintrecreation demand model by applying globally flexible estimation techniques to travel cost data forCalifornia whale watching trips. While locally flexible functional forms do improve uponpreviously used restrictive forms imposed for estimation of travel cost models, specification errorsoccur unless the chosen form happens to coincide with the true unknown underlying form. Aglobally flexible functional form can consistently approximate the true function and its derivativesfor all points in the sample range. This paper seeks to reduce specification error and improveaccuracy of estimates from the two-constraint recreation demand model by using a globallyflexible functional form.
