Comparing the Awareness of a New Donation System and Willingness to Pay of Japanese and International Climbers at Mount Fuji

In June 2013, Mount Fuji was nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Subsequently, a new system was piloted encouraging climbers to make a donation of 1000 JPY to help improve environmental conservation. This research is part of a larger study from 2008 to 2014 monitoring the characteristics and behaviour of Fuji climbers. Specifically, this paper investigates Japanese and international climbers to compare their level of awareness and willingness to pay the new donation. Results revealed broad differences between Japanese and international climbers, with 71% of the latter unaware about the new fee prior to climbing, compared to only 16% of Japanese. 77% of Japanese supported the new fee compared to only 50% of international climbers. These findings seem to suggest that prior awareness is vital for compliance, as cross-analysis showed that among international climbers, 72% of those who knew in advance were willing to pay, compared to 43% of those without prior awareness. The new trial climbing fee will be extended for the entire 2014 season on a 24 hour basis, so these findings have implications for improved management based on a better understanding of market segments and more effective messaging to raise awareness, particularly among foreign climbers.