Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Advertisement

Scientific Reports
  • View all journals
  • Search
  • My Account Login
  • Content Explore content
  • About the journal
  • Publish with us
  • Sign up for alerts
  • RSS feed
  1. nature
  2. scientific reports
  3. articles
  4. article
Integrating GIS and AHP for sustainable ecotourism site suitability analysis: a case study of Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
Download PDF
Download PDF
  • Article
  • Open access
  • Published: 23 February 2026

Integrating GIS and AHP for sustainable ecotourism site suitability analysis: a case study of Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

  • Tewodros Kassahun Mankelkelot1,
  • Natnael Agegnehu Ayele3,
  • Muralitharan Jothimani2 &
  • …
  • Robert Tenzer3 

Scientific Reports , Article number:  (2026) Cite this article

We are providing an unedited version of this manuscript to give early access to its findings. Before final publication, the manuscript will undergo further editing. Please note there may be errors present which affect the content, and all legal disclaimers apply.

Subjects

  • Development studies
  • Environmental sciences
  • Environmental social sciences
  • Environmental studies
  • Geography

Abstract

This study evaluates the ecotourism potential of Bahir Dar and its surroundings using an integrated approach that combines Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Spatial and multi-criteria decision analysis was used to assess suitability for ecotourism development based on six factors: land-use/land-cover (LULC), elevation, slope, aspect, proximity to tourist destinations, and road accessibility. The highest weight was assigned to LULC (49%), followed by elevation (19%) and slope (15%), reflecting their relative influence on suitability. The suitability analysis indicates that 0.07% of the study area falls within the very high suitability class and 12.64% within the high suitability class, identifying the primary priority zones for ecotourism development. Among these priority zones, Area A contains rich vegetation and cultural sites suitable for nature and heritage tourism; Area B includes elevated terrain and traditional churches supporting spiritual and trekking tourism; Area C offers rural green landscapes favorable for community-based ecotourism; and Area D, near the city, provides a mix of religious and scenic attractions for urban-edge ecotourism. Despite infrastructure limitations, the region’s natural landscapes, cultural heritage, and strategic location offer opportunities for sustainable tourism aligned with SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 15 (Life on Land). Overall, the study provides a replicable GIS–AHP framework to support sustainable ecotourism planning, regional development, and environmental conservation.

Data availability

Data is provided within the manuscript.

References

  1. Samal, R. & Dash, M. Ecotourism, biodiversity conservation, and local livelihoods: Understanding the convergence and divergence. Int. J. Geoheritage Parks. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgeop.2022.11.001 (2022).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Baloch, Q. et al. Impact of tourism development upon environmental sustainability: a suggested framework for sustainable ecotourism. Environ. Sci. Pollut Res. Int. 30, 5917–5930. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-22496-w (2022).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Xaba, F. & Adanlawo, E. The potential role of ecotourism in sustainable development: A systematic review. J. Ecohumanism. https://doi.org/10.62754/joe.v3i4.3852 (2024).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Azam, M., Alam, M. & Hafeez, M. Effect of tourism on environmental pollution: Further evidence from Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. J. Clean. Prod. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.04.168 (2018).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Ghorbanzadeh, O., Pourmoradian, S., Blaschke, T. & Feizizadeh, B. Mapping potential nature-based tourism areas by applying GIS-decision making systems in East Azerbaijan Province. Iran. J. Ecotourism. 18, 261–283. https://doi.org/10.1080/14724049.2019.1597876 (2019).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Chen, A., Lu, Y. & Ng, Y. C. Y. The Principles of Geotourism, Springer, (2015).

  7. Suryabhagavan, K. V., Tamirat, H. & Balakrishnan, M. Multi-criteria evaluation in identification of potential ecotourism sites in Hawassa town and its surroundings, Ethiopia. J. Geomatics. 9, 86–92 (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Knox, M. W., Crawford, J. & Young, S. Ecotourism emergence in Tasmania through social entrepreneurs and authentic leaders, in: (ed Batabyal, D.) Global Entrepreneurial Trends in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry, IGI Global, 84–111. (2020).

  9. Yasin, A., Gebbisa, M. & Bacsi, Z. Sustainable rural tourism development in Ethiopia: Leveraging economic growth, infrastructure improvements, and cultural heritage. J. Infrastruct. Policy Dev. https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd9895 (2024).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Woyesa, T. & Kumar, S. Potential of coffee tourism for rural development in Ethiopia: A sustainable livelihood approach. Environ. Dev. Sustain. 23, 815–832. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-020-00610-7 (2020).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Asmelash, A. & Kumar, S. The structural relationship between tourist satisfaction and sustainable heritage tourism development in Tigrai, Ethiopia, Heliyon 5 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e01335

  12. Wu, W. et al. Ecotourism Suitability and Zoning from the Tourist Perspective: a Nature Reserve Case Study. Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 24 (6), 2683–2697. https://doi.org/10.15244/pjoes/59422 (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Huang, S. et al. Assessment of ecotourism suitability in Qilian mountain National park. Sci. Rep. 15. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-03400-1 (2025).

  14. Withanage, N. et al. An ecotourism suitability index for a world heritage city using GIS-multi criteria decision analysis techniques. Heliyon 10 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31585 (2024).

  15. Longley, P. A., Goodchild, M. F., Maguire, D. J. & Rhind, D. W. Geographic Information Science and Systems, John Wiley & Sons, UK, (2015).

  16. Gigović, L., Pamučar, D., Lukić, S. & Marković, S. GIS-Fuzzy DEMATEL MCDA model for the evaluation of the sites for ecotourism development: A case study of ‘Dunavski Kljuć’ Region, Serbia. Land. Use Policy. 58, 348–365 (2016).

    Google Scholar 

  17. Ronizi, S. R. A., Mokarram, M. & Negahban, S. Utilizing multi-criteria decision to determine the best location for the ecotourism in the east and central of Fars Province, Iran. Land. Use Policy. 99, 105095 (2020).

    Google Scholar 

  18. Jokar, P., Masoudi, M. & Karimi, F. An MCE-based innovative approach to evaluating ecotourism suitability using GIS. Cuad. Investig Geogr. (2020).

  19. Assefa, W., Eneyew, B. & Wondie, A. The impacts of land-use and land-cover change on wetland ecosystem service values in peri-urban and urban area of Bahir Dar City, Upper Blue Nile Basin, Northwestern Ethiopia. Ecol. Process. 10, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13717-021-00310-8 (2021).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Zerihun, M. Web based GIS for tourism development using effective free and open source software: Case study: Gondor Town and its surrounding area. Ethiopia J. Geogr. Inf. Syst. 9, 47–58. https://doi.org/10.4236/jgis.2017.91004 (2017).

    Google Scholar 

  21. Nino, K., Mamo, Y., Mengesha, G. & Kibret, K. GIS based ecotourism potential assessment in Munessa Shashemene Concession Forest and its surrounding area, Ethiopia. Appl. Geogr. 82, 48–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2017.02.010 (2017).

    Google Scholar 

  22. Zabihi, H. et al. A GIS-based fuzzy-analytic hierarchy process (F-AHP) for ecotourism suitability decision making: A case study of Babol in Iran, Tour. Manag Perspect. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2020.100726 (2020).

    Google Scholar 

  23. Chaudhary, S. et al. Land evaluation and sustainable development of ecotourism in the Garhwal Himalayan region using geospatial technology and analytical hierarchy process. Environ. Dev. Sustain. 24, 2225–2266. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-021-01528-4 (2022).

    Google Scholar 

  24. Dube, D. K. Challenges and prospects for promotion of international tourism in Ethiopia: A case study of Bahir Dar. Sci. Technol. Arts Res. J. 1(4), 95–102 (2012).

  25. Teressa, D. K. Ethiopia: Changes from People out Approach protected area management to participatory protected area management. Insight Ethiop. Protected Areas. 11, 49–55 (2017).

    Google Scholar 

  26. Lambin, E. F. et al. The causes of land-use and land-cover change: Moving beyond the myths. Glob Environ. Change. 11, 261–269 (2001).

    Google Scholar 

  27. Tolessa, T., Senbeta, F. & Abebe, T. Land use/land cover analysis and ecosystem services valuation in the central highlands of Ethiopia. Forests Trees Livelihoods. 26, 111–123 (2017).

    Google Scholar 

  28. Tewodros, K. T., Ethiopia, M. S. & Thesis Geospatial approach for ecotourism development: A case of Bale Mountains National Park, Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Addis Ababa University, (2010).

  29. Amatulli, G. et al. A suite of global, cross-scale topographic variables for environmental and biodiversity modeling. Sci. Data. 5 https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2018.40 (2018).

  30. Hasana, U., Swain, S. & George, B. A bibliometric analysis of ecotourism: A safeguard strategy in protected areas. Reg. Sustain. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.regsus.2022.03.001 (2022).

    Google Scholar 

  31. Miller, D., Morrice, J. G., Horne, P. L. & Aspinall, R. J. in The use of geographic information systems for Analysis of scenery in the Cairngorm Mountains, Scotland. (eds Price, M. F. & Heywood, D. I.) (Mountain Environments and Geographical Information Systems, Taylor and Francis, 1994).

  32. Shiferaw, H. Study on the influence of slope height and angle on the factor of safety and shape of failure of slopes based on strength reduction method of Analysis. Beni-Suef Univ. J. Basic. Appl. Sci. 10 https://doi.org/10.1186/s43088-021-00115-w (2021).

  33. Leempoel, K. et al. Very high-resolution digital elevation models: are multi‐scale derived variables ecologically relevant? Methods Ecol. Evol. 6 https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210x.12427 (2015).

  34. Qin, X., Du, X., Wang, Y. & Liu, L. Spatial evolution analysis and spatial optimization strategy of rural tourism based on spatial syntax model—A case study of Matao Village in Shandong Province, China, Land (2023). https://doi.org/10.3390/land12020317

  35. Fong, S., Lo, M., Songan, P. & Nair, V. Self-efficacy and sustainable rural tourism development: Local communities’ perspectives from Kuching, Sarawak, Asia Pac. J. Tour Res. 22, 147–159. https://doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2016.1208668 (2017).

    Google Scholar 

  36. Saaty, T. & Vargas, L. Models, Methods, Concepts & Applications of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (Springer, 2012).

  37. Hoang, H., Truong, Q., Nguyen, A. & Hens, L. Multicriteria evaluation of tourism potential in the Central Highlands of Vietnam: Combining Geographic Information System (GIS), Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Sustainability (2018). https://doi.org/10.3390/su10093097

  38. Banerjee, O., Henseler, M., Maisonnave, H., Beyene, L. & Velesco, M. An integrated model for evaluating investments in cultural heritage tourism in the Dominican Republic. Tour Econ. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354816617713229 (2017).

    Google Scholar 

  39. Kinasih, R., Roessali, W. & Prasetyo, E. Visitors’ satisfaction and development strategy of agrotourism: Evidence from Semarang, Indonesia. J. Socioecon Dev. 3, 101–114. https://doi.org/10.31328/JSED.V3I2.1450 (2020).

    Google Scholar 

  40. Islam, N. et al. A novel GIS-based MCDM approach to identify the potential eco-tourism sites in the Eastern Dooars region (Himalayan foothill) of West Bengal, India. Geocarto Int. 37, 13145–13175. https://doi.org/10.1080/10106049.2022.2076917 (2022).

    Google Scholar 

  41. Gürbüz, E. & Batman, Z. Evaluation of ecologically based activities within the scope of sustainable tourism and recreation planning, Sustainability (2025). https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052136

  42. Tabak, A. et al. Economic and socio-cultural development dimension—Two lake-protected areas’ sustainability: A case of Hungary and Serbia, Land (2025). https://doi.org/10.3390/land14030479

  43. Kato, K. & Progano, R. Spiritual (walking) tourism as a foundation for sustainable destination development: Kumano-kodo pilgrimage, Wakayama, Japan. Tour Manag Perspect. 24, 243–251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2017.07.017 (2017).

    Google Scholar 

  44. Anindhita, T., Zielinski, S., Milanés, C. & Ahn, Y. The protection of natural and cultural landscapes through community-based tourism: The case of the Indigenous Kamoro Tribe in West Papua, Indonesia. Land https://doi.org/10.3390/land13081237 (2024).

    Google Scholar 

  45. He, Y., Gao, X., Wu, R., Wang, Y. & Choi, B. How does sustainable rural tourism cause rural community development? Sustainability https://doi.org/10.3390/su132413516 (2021).

    Google Scholar 

  46. Liu, X., Xu, M. & Zhou, H. Analyzing the spatio-temporal distribution and network structure of ecotourism flow in Zhangjiajie. Sustainability https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052496 (2022).

    Google Scholar 

  47. Hoang, H., Truong, Q., Nguyen, A. & Hens, L. Multicriteria evaluation of tourism potential in the Central Highlands of Vietnam: Combining Geographic Information System (GIS), Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Sustainability (2018). https://doi.org/10.3390/su10093097

  48. Abtahee, M. et al. Mapping ecotourism potential in Bangladesh: The integration of an analytical hierarchy algorithm and geospatial data. Sustainability https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511522 (2023).

    Google Scholar 

  49. Acharya, A. et al. Geospatial Analysis of geo-ecotourism site suitability using AHP and GIS for sustainable and resilient tourism planning in West Bengal, India. Sustainability (2022). https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042422

  50. Garedew, K. & Walabu, M. Identification of potential eco-tourism site suitability using AHP and GIS in Dinsho District of Bale Zone, Southeastern Ethiopia. J. Tour Hosp. Sports. https://doi.org/10.7176/jths/52-02 (2020).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mapping, Space Science and Geospatial Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Tewodros Kassahun Mankelkelot

  2. Department of Geology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia

    Muralitharan Jothimani

  3. Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China

    Natnael Agegnehu Ayele & Robert Tenzer

Authors
  1. Tewodros Kassahun Mankelkelot
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Natnael Agegnehu Ayele
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Muralitharan Jothimani
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Robert Tenzer
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

**Tewodros Kasahun Mankelkelot** : Writing – review & editing, Writing – original draft, Software, Methodology, Investigation, Formal analysis, Data curation, Conceptualization. **Natnael Agegnehu Ayele** : Supervision, Methodology, Conceptualization, Writing – review & editing, Writing – original draft, and Analysis. **Muralitharan Jothimani** : Methodology, Writing – review & editing, Writing – original draft, and Analysis. **Robert Tenzer: ** Methodology, Writing – review & editing, Writing – original draft, and Analysis.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Muralitharan Jothimani.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Mankelkelot, T.K., Ayele, N.A., Jothimani, M. et al. Integrating GIS and AHP for sustainable ecotourism site suitability analysis: a case study of Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-41548-6

Download citation

  • Received: 17 August 2025

  • Accepted: 20 February 2026

  • Published: 23 February 2026

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-41548-6

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

Keywords

  • Ecotourism
  • GIS
  • AHP
  • Suitability analysis
  • Bahir Dar
  • Ethiopia
Download PDF

Advertisement

Explore content

  • Research articles
  • News & Comment
  • Collections
  • Subjects
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on X
  • Sign up for alerts
  • RSS feed

About the journal

  • About Scientific Reports
  • Contact
  • Journal policies
  • Guide to referees
  • Calls for Papers
  • Editor's Choice
  • Journal highlights
  • Open Access Fees and Funding

Publish with us

  • For authors
  • Language editing services
  • Open access funding
  • Submit manuscript

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

  • Explore articles by subject
  • Find a job
  • Guide to authors
  • Editorial policies

Scientific Reports (Sci Rep)

ISSN 2045-2322 (online)

nature.com sitemap

About Nature Portfolio

  • About us
  • Press releases
  • Press office
  • Contact us

Discover content

  • Journals A-Z
  • Articles by subject
  • protocols.io
  • Nature Index

Publishing policies

  • Nature portfolio policies
  • Open access

Author & Researcher services

  • Reprints & permissions
  • Research data
  • Language editing
  • Scientific editing
  • Nature Masterclasses
  • Research Solutions

Libraries & institutions

  • Librarian service & tools
  • Librarian portal
  • Open research
  • Recommend to library

Advertising & partnerships

  • Advertising
  • Partnerships & Services
  • Media kits
  • Branded content

Professional development

  • Nature Awards
  • Nature Careers
  • Nature Conferences

Regional websites

  • Nature Africa
  • Nature China
  • Nature India
  • Nature Japan
  • Nature Middle East
  • Privacy Policy
  • Use of cookies
  • Legal notice
  • Accessibility statement
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Your US state privacy rights
Springer Nature

© 2026 Springer Nature Limited

Nature Briefing Anthropocene

Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Anthropocene newsletter — what matters in anthropocene research, free to your inbox weekly.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing: Anthropocene