Analysis of the suitability for ecotourism in Beira Baixa region using a spatial decision support system based on a geographical information system

Ecotourism can contribute to the conservation of environmental values, as well as to the development of positive synergies between agents in the tourism sector, tourists and the local population. The growing interest in tourism offers with low environmental impact, which support the local economy, translates into a competitive advantage for low‐density territories. On the basis of this principle, the scope of the present study is intended to evaluate the potential of the existing natural and rural features in the Beira Baixa region, located in the central interior of Portugal, which can anchor the creation of sustainable tourism products. Despite the undeniable interest in carrying out studies to determine an aggregate suitability index for the development of ecotourism using spatial multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA), there are still no studies carried out in Portugal. The identification of areas suitable for the development of ecotourism, and their constraints, was carried out on the basis of the integration of nine criteria using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) in a geographical information system (GIS) environment. The results obtained reveal that the region has high suitability for the practice of ecotourism activities, given its important natural heritage. This study was innovative as it shows the ecotourism potential based on a diversity of criteria as an aid to public administration agents with functions in planning, territorial management and management of support mechanisms for the tourist sector. The use of the landscape diversity criteria, which had not yet been tested in previous studies, proved to be important in determining the ecotourism potential of the region, together with the landscape value based in the importance of the Montado agrosystem, which supports a variety of sustainable tourist activities. The information produced in the study may be useful for the design of new policies for valuing natural resources through tourism.