Evaluating Nature-Based Tourism Destination Attractiveness with a Fuzzy-AHP Approach

Xiaoping Gu, Carter A. Hunt, Xiang Jia and Lijun Niu
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Xiaoping Gu: College of Economics and Management, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
Carter A. Hunt: Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA 16802, USA
Xiang Jia: Changbai Mountain Academy of Sciences, Changbai Mountain Protection and Development Zone, Erdaobaihe, Yanbian 133613, China
Lijun Niu: Changbai Mountain Academy of Sciences, Changbai Mountain Protection and Development Zone, Erdaobaihe, Yanbian 133613, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 13, 1-23

Abstract: Nature-based tourism attractiveness (NBTA) has yet to be assessed by coupling empirical measurement of supply and demand indicators with simultaneous assessment of tourist and tourism expert perspectives. Based on a guiding principle that the overall attractiveness of a tourism destination should combine the evaluation of existing resources or attractions and their perceived attractiveness, the purpose of this study is to develop and apply a novel methodological approach for assessing tourism attractiveness of nature-based destinations. This approach developed here combines an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) with a Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation Method (FCEM). The resulting Fuzzy-AHP approach to NBTA was tested at the Changbai Mountain Biosphere Reserve, a popular nature-based tourism destination in China. The findings confirm that this Fuzzy-AHP approach is a more reliable and comprehensive method for evaluating the destination attractiveness than pre-existing approaches. In addition to theoretical contributions related to the merging of various approaches to assessing destination attractiveness and the development of a tool specific to nature-based tourism destinations, this work will be of interest to decision makers seeking more effective tools for planning, marketing, and developing nature-based tourism destinations.

Keywords: nature-based tourism; destination attractiveness; analytic hierarchy process (AHP); fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method (FCEM); biosphere reserve; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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