Land evaluation for ecotourism development based on land use planning rules by using MADM and AHP methods

Various methods have been suggested for locating areas for ecotourism development by different researchers, which have different strengths and weaknesses according to the conditions of the region. Obviously, using quantitative methods and reducing expert interference in the decision making process and evaluation can provide better results. Therefore, in order to evaluate ecotourism development, a multi attribute evaluation method based on fuzzy logic and hierarchical process (AHP) has been used. For this purpose, one of the northern forest areas of the country that has various capacities in the field of ecotourism, such as the Kelardasht forests, was selected and studied in the region. At first, ecological criteria and indicators were identified and quantitatively and normalized by fuzzy method. Also, the weight of the indices was determined by hierarchical analysis method(AHP) then, using Weighted Linear combination(WLC) method all the information layers were combined and the ecological potential of the area was mapped for ecotourism. The results show that the WLC is the suitable and efficient method for locating recreational areas in the study area. Because the simultaneous use of fuzzy logic and the AHP method for determining the weight of the indices provides one more logical condition for evaluation lands by the WLC method. Meanwhile, in this method. One of the most important results of this study is the effect of forest condition on ecotourism demand. Also, road construction in the region has attracted visitors from the region and has led to an increase in demand for ecotourism. On the other hand, forest and environmental degradation will reduce demand for ecotourism in the area.