Assessing the Non-Market Value of Heritage Interpretation

Quantifying the value-added service which interpreters provide is crucial in protecting and managing all of our important resources. Unlike most private goods and services which have an observed price, most historic, cultural, or natural resources represent non-market goods. While researchers have traditionally used tourist spending combined with input-output models to estimate the value of non-market resources, this technique does not adequately capture the value of interpretive services. The primary purpose of this article is to present a general economic framework which can be used to assess the value of heritage interpretation. An economic model is presented to illustrate graphically how one could measure the total and marginal social value of interpretation. An overview of different non-market valuation techniques and a discussion of how economic values relate to an interpretive process model is also provided. The article concludes with an economic perspective on the issue of interpreter certification.