Surveying the Recreational Priorities in Gavkhooni Region Through Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP)

Developing the recreational activities and ecotourism is one of the approaches to reach sustainable development. Termination of the recreational values and potentials as well as planning in this case lead to increase economic income. Gavkhooni is an attractive place which has a high potential for ecotourism. In this study, the recreational factors and the priorities of recreational places in the region determined by the Analytic Hierarchy process method. The main factors that influence recreations were determined and then each pair of them were compared by local data via the questionnaires. Then, four places were selected in the region and the score of each place with respect to the factors were determined via questionnaires. Then the priorities of recreational activities were determined through comparison of the tourist's interests. The results showed that the beautiful landscapes are the most important factor for recreation and the Dunes are the first priority for recreation in the region. The recreational activities scored with respect to the tourist's interests. Finally, the managerial hints for improving the ecotourism were presented.