Site selection of ecotourism ecocamps for sustainable development of rural areas

ABSTRACT

One crucial step in planning for ecotourism is the selection of sites for ecotourism ecocamps to cater to ecotourists. To identify such sites, it is necessary to consider the following criteria: Sunlight, Slope, Distance from the highest peak, Land use, Erosion, Distance from the road network, Distance from faults, Distance from protected areas, Distance from attractions, Natural distance from settlements, and Distance from flood-prone areas. Based on these criteria, the current research has been compiled using a descriptive-analytical method to identify the most favorable points for constructing ecotourism ecocamps. The required information has been collected using the library method. To assign weight to the examined criteria, 38 experts and professionals were consulted, and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method was employed. After determining the weight of each criterion, information layers for each criterion were created in the GIS software. Finally, by overlaying these information layers, the most suitable locations for establishing ecotourism ecocamps were identified. Therefore, proper planning for the creation of ecotourism ecocamps in the proposed locations will contribute to the sustainable development of tourism and the economic growth of the region in order of priority.

KEYWORDS:

• Site selection
• ecotourism
• sustainable development
• rural development
• ecocamp

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).