GIS-Based Evaluation of Site Suitability for Eco Tourism Development in the Batticaloa District: A Geospatial Assessment

Abstract

Tourism is an important economic sector in Sri Lanka, contributing over 12% to the country’s GDP and representing the third largest source of foreign exchange. However, the Batticaloa district in the east of Sri Lanka is a tourist destination that is rapidly expanding. Accordingly, the purpose of the study is to explore the suitability of the region to promote sustainable eco-tourism in the Batticaloa District. Data was gathered from multiple sources. Primary data was collected through interviews to identify the factors important for ecotourism in the Batticaloa district. Global Positioning System (GPS) field survey was conducted as the sample location to verify the location information. Using secondary source, spatial analysis was conducted with the help of Geographic Information System (GIS) using the Multi-criteria decision-making analysis and Weighted Overlay Analysis technique to identify ecotourism zones. This study employs an integrated approach to ecotourism development, identifying ecotourism sites and creating a model to evaluate ecotourism sustainability by combining regional criteria with the sub-criteria that are most conducive to ecotourism. The study found that the ecotourism potential of the Batticaloa district was to be the most suitable at 27.42 % of the total area, the moderate suitable at 59.37 %, suitable at 8.14 % and less suitable at 3.43%. But the area that not suitable for eco-tourism is only 1.64 % of the total area. Finally, this study recommends the adoption of ecotourism strategies to promote sustainable ecotourism development in the study area.