Optimum ecotourism site selection in Kojur basin of Mazandaran province using ordered weighted average (OWA) and Geographic information system (GIS)

In order to create sustainable development in the tourism industry, the proper understanding of environmental potentials and its sensitivity to human activities is very important. This study has identified and prioritized the potential of ecotourism sites in the Kojur basin of Mazandaran province. Physiographies criteria, including slope, direction, and elevation, as well as criteria of distance from road, river, village, sliding locations and canopy percent, were selected as the appropriate index. The criteria were evaluated and fuzzy by the experts and Analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method. Subsequently, using the Ordered weighted average (OWA) scenarios, the appropriate ecotourism site was selected. To reduce risk and increase managerial power, Boolean logic was used. The results showed that the landslide and the roads had a maximum value of 0.315 and 0.238, respectively. The output maps of the OWA scenarios have shown that the northeastern range of the cougar basin is the most optimal location for the establishment of the ecotourism site, and the northern region was ranked next. In the scenario of the low-risk level and non-compensated, and low-risk level and low compensation scenario, 83 hectares of land were recognized for the appropriate ecotourism site. While, average risk and complete compensation, high risk and low compensation, average risk and non-compensation and high risk and no compensation, were 3179, 1255, 1909, and 2577 hectares respectively for ecotourism sites. The Boolean logic output showed that about 47 hectares of northeastern lands of Kojour basin are an appropriate ecotourism site.