Assessment of nature-based tourism potential in Erzincan through the integration of GIS and AHP methods

Tourism has been regarded as a tool providing economic benefits for many destinations since the 1960s in the post–World War II period, which laid the groundwork for the development of mass tourism. However, the environmental and social impacts of mass tourism have gradually been criticized, and since the 1980s, alternative forms of tourism such as ecotourism, sustainable tourism, and nature-based tourism have come to the forefront. Nature-based tourism is defined as travel activities carried out through the use of natural resources for leisure purposes and is currently one of the fastest-growing types of tourism. This study aims to determine the nature-based tourism potential of Erzincan Province. For this purpose, the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) methods were applied together. The integration of GIS and AHP provides objective and visualizable results in multi-criteria evaluations. The criteria used to reveal Erzincan's nature-based tourism potential include proximity to hydro-touristic resources, ski resorts, protected areas, and highways, as well as land use, slope, and climate classifications. A map was generated using these criteria and classified into five categories through the Natural Breaks method, ranging from very high to very low potential. The analysis results indicate high tourism potential in the western (Refahiye) and southern (Kemah) parts of the province and around the Erzincan Plain. Since some of these areas are relatively less known, it is recommended that they be promoted and developed within the framework of sustainable tourism for various nature based tourism activities such as trekking, camping, mountaineering, and off-road tourism.