Assessment of ecotourism potentiality based on GIS-based fuzzy logarithm methodology of additive weights (F-LMAW) method for sustainable natural resource management

Ecotourism, as a distinctive facet of tourism and a prospective sector for sustainable development, plays a pivotal role in the preservation and sustainability of natural resources. This study's objective is to spatially assess land suitability for ecotourism activities within Sivas province (Türkiye) by integrating GIS with the newly introduced MCDA method, Fuzzy Logarithm Methodology of Additive Weights (F-LMAW). In this study, we employed 24 criteria, drawn from literature and local knowledge, to identify suitable areas in terms of ecotourism potential. These criteria underwent reclassification to emphasize their significance in shaping ecotourism potential. Subsequently, the criteria were weighted with the help of the Fuzzy-LMAW method and these criteria were ranked according to their importance in creating ecotourism potential. The Ecotourism Potentiality Index (EPI) was computed using the Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) method, which formed the basis for ecotourism potential mapping. A sensitivity analysis was performed to validate the results. According to the EPI values; the ecotourism potential of the study area was identified as “highly suitable (13.32%)”, “suitable (27.44%)”, “moderately suitable (35.01%)”, “barely suitable (19.55%)” and “not suitable at all (4.69%)”. The areas most conducive to ecotourism potential are concentrated in the Hafik and Zara districts, while less suitable areas are observed in the Suşehri, Akıncılar, and Gölova districts. The results of the sensitivity analysis conducted to test the robustness and validity of the proposed methodology have demonstrated that the suggested integrated MCDA framework is valid and applicable.