Investigation of Sustainable Rural Tourism Activities With Different Risk: A GIS-MCDM Case in Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

Development of rural tourism activities improves the quality of life, with many associated benefits for local people. Accordingly, this study aims to prioritize tourism areas in Isfahan province using the multiple-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model to provide the best ecosystem services to tourists. Nine rural tourism activities (camel-riding, hiking, mountaineering, desert tourism, wildlife observation, cycling, canyoning, camping, and horse riding) are assessed based on integrating the priorities of each suitability criteria (fuzzy membership and Analytic Hierarchical Process method) with the different risk levels. The results show that mountaineering (86.48% moderate risk; 91% high risk) and canyoning (70% moderate risk; 97% high risk) represent the best alternatives for development of tourism. According to the results of this research, tourists can make the best decisions about individual activities by determining their priorities based on associated levels of risk.