Assessment of tourism development services in peri-urban villages using the VIKOR model and spatial statistics algorithms in GIS for mapping spatial interactions
Abstract
Many rural areas in peri-urban regions are highly vulnerable to the impacts of human activities and environmental hazards. The dual role of these areas in both rural and urban production leads to the overexploitation of natural resources, increasing their susceptibility. The potential contribution of the tourism sector to rural development in peri-urban areas has been largely overlooked. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) methods are effective in spatial development, including assessing tourism capacities, by integrating decision-making models. Peri-urban tourism villages have unique characteristics and spatial variations that require specific tourism services, setting them apart from other rural areas in the service sector. This study aims to evaluate the necessary services for tourism development in peri-urban villages by integrating the VIKOR model and analyzing them in a GIS environment. The research was conducted in five villages with tourism potential in peri-urban areas using a descriptive-analytical methodology based on surveys and spatial data. The VIKOR model was utilized to identify and rank the required tourism services in the villages, followed by spatial analysis using GIS algorithms. The AHP model results highlighted accommodation services (importance factor of 0.389) and transportation services (importance factor of 0.186) as the most critical services. The VIKOR model ranked Noorabad village as the top priority for tourism service development with a weight of 0.857, while the central location algorithm in GIS identified Kolfarah village as a central village for tourism services. Spatial analysis in the GIS environment revealed a random pattern of tourism services in peri-urban villages, with no spatial autocorrelation observed among them. Therefore, service development for these villages should be planned and implemented based on priority considerations. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.