Ecotourism Potential Zone Mapping by Using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Weighted Linear Algorithm: A Study on West Bengal, India

Abstract

This study was designed to demarcate the Ecotourism Potential Zones (ETPZs) of West Bengal using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and weighted linear algorithm by considering three sustainable tourism parameters and sixteen indicators. Those three parameters are 1) physical (P), 2) social (S), and 3) availability of scenic beauty and infrastructures (ASI). Overall, 5 parameters are merged under physical (P), 2 parameters are integrated under social (S), and 9 parameters are incorporated under availability of scenic beauty and infrastructures (ASI). A 4-step procedure has been adopted for this study: 1) a simple hierarchical structure has been outlined, 2) pair-wise comparison matrices are formed, 3) weighted linear algorithm technique is utilized to get the ecotourism potentiality zone, and 4) ecotourism potentiality map is classified into high, moderate and low categories based on the principle of Dominant and Distinctive Function (DDF). As a result, about 61.65% area is identified with high ecotourism potential zone, 17.86% area is observed under the moderate ecotourism potential zone, and 20.48% area is recognized as the low ecotourism potential zone. Thus, the study considers an exceptional methodological framework that is applicable in any region of the world.

Tourism Potentiality Zone Mapping by Using the AHP Technique: A Study on Bankura District, West Bengal, India

“…But unfortunately, no other researchers have tried to identify the tourism potentiality issue of the Bankura district, West Bengal. Although, Raha et al (2021) tried to identify the tourism potentiality issue of the West Bengal, but a true micro-level assessment is missing in their research. Later, Raha and Gayen (2022) identify the green tourism potentiality of the Gangetic West Bengal; but through a large geographical context; it was not easy for the authors to identify the tourism potentiality issue meticulously.…”

“…Several diversified indicators are extremely necessary to identify several diversified phenomena in this region. Raha et al (2021) and Raha and Gayen (2022) attempted to determine the potential for tourism and green tourism in West Bengal and Gangetic West Bengal, but their selection of the criteria is fairly narrow and constrained. Similarly, Acharya et al (2022) uses, land use-land cover data along with the remote sensing databases to identify the geo ecotourism zones but several diversified parameters and indicators are missing.…”

“…Here, each criterion is evaluated on a scale of relative dominance from 1 to 9. (Table 1, Raha et al, 2021). For example, in Table 4, the Amenities (AN) are more important than the Environmental Quality (EQ).…”

“…First of all, the tourism is very dynamic, unstable, and unpredictable. It is an industry that predominantly lays its' basis on a very fragile environment or culturally sensitive areas (Raha et al, 2021). Secondly, the tourism (with sustainability) as a concept becomes popular within a conventional, inadequate framework.…”

“…As a matter of fact, only a few researchers concentrated on tourism potential zone mapping but they have not considered multiple and appropriate parameters in several cases (Raha et al, 2021). As for example the work of Sahani (2019) only considered thirteen physical parameters (i.e.…”