Leveraging Geospatial Technologies for Sustainable Tourism Development in Galle District, Sri Lanka

Abstract

This study addresses a critical gap in sustainable tourism management in the Galle District, where the identification and promotion of new tourist attractions are essential to alleviate pressure on popular sites and support long-term tourism development. By integrating geospatial technologies (GST) with key data such as topography, accessibility, and infrastructure - the research identifies underutilized locations with the potential to become new tourist attractions. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining field surveys, digital data acquisition, and spatial analysis through the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) in QGIS. This integration provided a comprehensive evaluation of potential sites. The results include the development of a GIS-based web platform and a mobile application for real-time tourist data collection and management. These tools offer stakeholders an effective solution for managing tourism more sustainably by facilitating the discovery and promotion of lesser-known sites, which helps distribute visitor pressure more evenly across the region. By enhancing the identification process and promoting balanced visitor traffic, the study directly contributes to sustainable tourism management in the Galle District, offering insights that support both tourism growth and environmental sustainability.