Integrated ecotourism modeling using AHP and GIS in Venaii, Boroujerd, Lorestan Province

Determining the recreational appropriatness of rangeands based on their ecological potentials is vital for ecotourism management. Ecological potentials should be evaluated to achieve an appropriate ecotorism planning. This study aimed to provid a model for evaluating ecotourim suitability using GIS in Venae basin, Boroujerd County, Lorestan province, Iran. The effective sub-criteria on ecotorism suitability were identified using literature review, questioners from exporters and tourists. Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to weight and evaluate these factors or sub-criteria on rangeland recreational appropriateness. Expret Choice software was used to conduct AHP. Digital information map, slope, aspect, satellite map and so on were overlaid by ArcGIS© software. The ecotourism suitability sub-criteria were categorized into two main physical and biotic criteria. Twenty two sub-criteria were evaluated based on the specific ecotourism type, and their spatial maps were produced and combined. According to the AHP synthesis, sensitivity to soil erosion was identified as the most important sub-criteria (with relative weight of 0.431) from physical criteria for ecotourism suitability and distance from city and camping were not identified as important sub-criteria with relative weight as low as 0.028. Security and residents charcteristics were also identified as the most and least important sub-criteria for ecotourism suitability among biotic criteria with relative weight of 0.56 and 0.33 respectively. Results indicated that 1457 hectares (24.85 percent) of the study area was classified as highly suitable for eotourism (S1), 1751 hectares (29.86 percent) classified as S2, 1200 hectares (20.46 percent) classified as S3 and 1456 hectares (24.85 percent) were classified as unsuitable (N) for ecotourism purposes. In summary, the physiographic condition of the study area such as high slope and mountainous land units were identified as the most limiting factors of ecotourim suitability. Specific landscape, high mountain peaks, plant diversity, gardens, orchards and plantation were aslo identified as sub-criteria that improve ecotourim suitability in the study area. The limitation of slope sub-criteria for ecotourism suitability can be decreased by providing walking trails appropriate for tourists in the area.