Identification of Suitable Villages for Agritourism Development(A Case Study of Semirom County)

Agricultural tourism has been recognized as an opportunity for rural development in recent decades. To promote sustainable agricultural tourism, identifying and prioritizing villages suitable for the development of this activity is essential. This research aims to locate suitable villages for the development of agritourism in rural areas of Semirom County. The method used is a survey-analytical approach. The study population consists of experts and farmers. Data collection was done through questionnaires. Initially, suitable indicators were identified through the opinions of 15 experts using the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process and Super Decision software. Then, using spatial indicators through ArcGIS software and the fuzzy overlay method, areas and villages suitable for agritourism development were determined, ultimately selecting 14 villages based on population size. In the next stage, the social capacity of the local community in the identified villages was assessed. Data were collected from 326 individuals using questionnaires and analyzed with SPSS software. Finally, using the TOPSIS model, villages were ranked based on all indicators influencing agricultural tourism development, including natural and tourism resources, tourism infrastructure, and the social capacity of the local community. The results indicated that Aliabad, Dangzalu, and Khafar have the highest potential for agritourism development. Furthermore, the results showed that planners should consider all factors including agricultural capacity, natural resources, tourist attractions, infrastructure, and local social capacity when identifying suitable villages for agritourism.