Environmental amenities and territorial anchorage in the recreational-housing rental market: A hedonic approach with French data

Site-specific characteristics are attributes of tourism services for consumers and a factor influencing their costs and quality for producers. These services are a fine illustration of territorial rents. Using estimates from hedonic price equations, we test the role of environmental/territorial variables as services differentiation tools in the context of a non-competitive market, and obtain the value of territorial rent generated by tourism managers’ strategies. Two territories of reference are chosen, one currently benefiting from renewed public interest, and a usual tourist destination. The results of a comparative analysis suggest that tourists’ preferences for new destinations, combined with firms’ strategies generate some catching up effects by emerging territories.