IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i15p11522-d1202330.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Mapping Ecotourism Potential in Bangladesh: The Integration of an Analytical Hierarchy Algorithm and Geospatial Data

Author

Listed:
  • Muhallil Abtahee

    (Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, Khulna 9203, Bangladesh)

  • Afra Anika Islam

    (Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, Khulna 9203, Bangladesh)

  • Md. Nazmul Haque

    (Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, Khulna 9203, Bangladesh
    Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 7390046, Japan)

  • Hasan Zonaed

    (Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, Khulna 9203, Bangladesh)

  • Samiha Mahzabin Ritu

    (Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, Khulna 9203, Bangladesh)

  • Sk Md Imdadul Islam

    (Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX 78541, USA)

  • Atiq Zaman

    (Global South Nexus (GSN), School of Design and the Built Environment, Curtin University, Perth 6102, Australia)

Abstract

The significance of ecotourism has been increasing due to its potential for biodiversity preservation, economic advancement, and the promotion of sustainability awareness. In this research, geospatial analysis and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was employed to identify feasible ecotourism sites in Bangladesh. The study applied Geographical Information System–Remote Sensing (GIS-RS) parameters and weighted overlay techniques for selected ecotourism characteristics, such as natural attractiveness, topographic features, accessibility, proximity to facilities, and community characteristics. The study found that a significant proportion (around 44%) of Bangladesh’s land exhibits high potential for ecotourism. Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, and Rangamati are particularly favorable ecotourism locations. However, some difficulties emerge in regions that are not easily reachable, such as mangrove forests, and in densely inhabited localities like Dhaka. The research also identified the ecological costs linked with ecotourism, such as the exhaustion of resources, the fragmentation of habitats, contamination, and the disruption of wildlife. The primary recommendations to address the adverse effects include educating the local populace, enforcing regulatory measures, implementing efficient waste management systems, enforcing a stringent code of conduct, providing economic incentives to the local communities, and addressing the issue of food security. The cartographically delineated potential zones have the potential to function as a navigational instrument for global travelers and facilitate the decision-making process of policymakers in the realm of sustainable land resource management in Bangladesh. This study enhances the understanding of the potential of ecotourism and offers valuable insights for advancing responsible and sustainable tourism practices within the nation.

Suggested Citation

  • Muhallil Abtahee & Afra Anika Islam & Md. Nazmul Haque & Hasan Zonaed & Samiha Mahzabin Ritu & Sk Md Imdadul Islam & Atiq Zaman, 2023. "Mapping Ecotourism Potential in Bangladesh: The Integration of an Analytical Hierarchy Algorithm and Geospatial Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-28, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:15:p:11522-:d:1202330
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/15/11522/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/15/11522/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chloe F Sato & Jeff T Wood & David B Lindenmayer, 2013. "The Effects of Winter Recreation on Alpine and Subalpine Fauna: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(5), pages 1-11, May.
    2. Nazifa Rafa & Samiha Nuzhat & Sayed Mohammad Nazim Uddin & Mukesh Gupta & Rahul Rakshit, 2021. "Ecotourism as a Forest Conservation Tool: An NDVI Analysis of the Sitakunda Botanical Garden and Ecopark in Chattogram, Bangladesh," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-22, November.
    3. Amin Mahmoudi & Xiaopeng Deng & Saad Ahmed Javed & Na Zhang, 2021. "Sustainable Supplier Selection in Megaprojects: Grey Ordinal Priority Approach," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(1), pages 318-339, January.
    4. Fragoudaki, Alexandra & Giokas, Dimitris, 2016. "Airport performance in a tourism receiving country: Evidence from Greece," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 80-89.
    5. Amin Mahmoudi & Mehdi Abbasi & Xiaopeng Deng, 2022. "Evaluating the Performance of the Suppliers Using Hybrid DEA-OPA Model: A Sustainable Development Perspective," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 31(2), pages 335-362, April.
    6. Shaikh Shamim Hasan & Xiangzheng Deng & Zhihui Li & Dongdong Chen, 2017. "Projections of Future Land Use in Bangladesh under the Background of Baseline, Ecological Protection and Economic Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-21, March.
    7. Nolberto Munier & Eloy Hontoria, 2021. "Uses and Limitations of the AHP Method," Management for Professionals, Springer, number 978-3-030-60392-2, December.
    8. David Tilman & Michael Clark & David R. Williams & Kaitlin Kimmel & Stephen Polasky & Craig Packer, 2017. "Future threats to biodiversity and pathways to their prevention," Nature, Nature, vol. 546(7656), pages 73-81, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Donny Juliandri Prihadi & Guanghai Zhang & Ghulam M. Lahbar & Buntora Pasaribu, 2024. "Integration of Community-Based Tourism (CBT) Index and Biophysical Assessment for Sustainable Ecotourism Mangrove: A Case Study of Karangsong, Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-16, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Rami Al Sidawi & Teo Urushadze & Angelika Ploeger, 2020. "Changes in Dairy Products Value Chain in Georgia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-29, July.
    2. Christopher Hassall & Michael Nisbet & Evan Norcliffe & He Wang, 2024. "The Potential Health Benefits of Urban Tree Planting Suggested through Immersive Environments," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-12, February.
    3. Nazifa Rafa & Samiha Nuzhat & Sayed Mohammad Nazim Uddin & Mukesh Gupta & Rahul Rakshit, 2021. "Ecotourism as a Forest Conservation Tool: An NDVI Analysis of the Sitakunda Botanical Garden and Ecopark in Chattogram, Bangladesh," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-22, November.
    4. Kristian Steensen Nielsen & Theresa M. Marteau & Jan M. Bauer & Richard B. Bradbury & Steven Broad & Gayle Burgess & Mark Burgman & Hilary Byerly & Susan Clayton & Dulce Espelosin & Paul J. Ferraro & , 2021. "Biodiversity conservation as a promising frontier for behavioural science," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 5(5), pages 550-556, May.
    5. Youjung Kim & Galen Newman, 2019. "Climate Change Preparedness: Comparing Future Urban Growth and Flood Risk in Amsterdam and Houston," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-24, February.
    6. Kathrin Stenchly & Marc Victor Hansen & Katharina Stein & Andreas Buerkert & Wilhelm Loewenstein, 2018. "Income Vulnerability of West African Farming Households to Losses in Pollination Services: A Case Study from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-12, November.
    7. Peter Horton, 2017. "We need radical change in how we produce and consume food," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 9(6), pages 1323-1327, December.
    8. Jintao Li & Yan Dai & Cynthia Changxin Wang & Jun Sun, 2022. "Assessment of Environmental Demands of Age-Friendly Communities from Perspectives of Different Residential Groups: A Case of Wuhan, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-20, July.
    9. Ziqi Meng & Jinwei Dong & Erle C. Ellis & Graciela Metternicht & Yuanwei Qin & Xiao-Peng Song & Sara Löfqvist & Rachael D. Garrett & Xiaopeng Jia & Xiangming Xiao, 2023. "Post-2020 biodiversity framework challenged by cropland expansion in protected areas," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 6(7), pages 758-768, July.
    10. Katerina Fotova Čiković & Ivana Martinčević & Joško Lozić, 2022. "Application of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) in the Selection of Sustainable Suppliers: A Review and Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-30, May.
    11. Amin Mahmoudi & Saad Ahmed Javed, 2022. "Probabilistic Approach to Multi-Stage Supplier Evaluation: Confidence Level Measurement in Ordinal Priority Approach," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 31(5), pages 1051-1096, October.
    12. Chiara Richiardi & Maria Rita Minciardi & Consolata Siniscalco & Maria Adamo, 2023. "Cumulative Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Anthropogenic Impacts in the Protected Area of the Gran Paradiso National Park in the NW Alps, Italy," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-21, May.
    13. Zdeňka Žáková Kroupová & Lukáš Čechura & Matěj Opatrný & Zuzana Hloušková & Iveta Mlezivová, 2023. "Assessment of the impact of agricultural support on crop diversity," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 69(3), pages 89-100.
    14. Vaugeois, Maxime & Venturelli, Paul A. & Hummel, Stephanie L. & Accolla, Chiara & Forbes, Valery E., 2020. "Population context matters: Predicting the effects of metabolic stress mediated by food availability and predation with an agent- and energy budget-based model," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 416(C).
    15. Rachel Mazac & Hanna L. Tuomisto, 2020. "The Post-Anthropocene Diet: Navigating Future Diets for Sustainable Food Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-15, March.
    16. Fernández, Xosé Luis & Coto-Millán, Pablo & Díaz-Medina, Benito, 2018. "The impact of tourism on airport efficiency: The Spanish case," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 52-58.
    17. Svetoslav Danchev & Nikos Paratsiokas & Nikolaos Vettas, 2022. "The Impact of the Concession of 14 Regional Greek Airports on Passenger Traffic," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 51-67, March.
    18. Daniel H. Pope & Johan O. Karlsson & Phillip Baker & David McCoy, 2021. "Examining the Environmental Impacts of the Dairy and Baby Food Industries: Are First-Food Systems a Crucial Missing Part of the Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems Agenda Now Underway?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-15, December.
    19. Xiaolin Yang & Jinran Xiong & Taisheng Du & Xiaotang Ju & Yantai Gan & Sien Li & Longlong Xia & Yanjun Shen & Steven Pacenka & Tammo S. Steenhuis & Kadambot H. M. Siddique & Shaozhong Kang & Klaus But, 2024. "Diversifying crop rotation increases food production, reduces net greenhouse gas emissions and improves soil health," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, December.
    20. Cahill, Catríona & Palcic, Dónal & Reeves, Eoin, 2017. "Commercialisation and airport performance: The case of Ireland's DAA," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 155-163.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ecotourism; AHP; GIS; economy; Bangladesh;
    All these keywords.

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:15:p:11522-:d:1202330. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.