A method to determine the potential for flora tourism in mountainous regions: a case study of the Kackar Mountains National Park, Turkey
Künye
Sarı, D. (2019). A method to determine the potential for flora tourism in mountainous regions: a case study of the Kackar Mountains National Park, Turkey. ECO MONT- Journal on Protected Mountain Areas Research and Management, 11(2), 27-35. DOİ: 10.1553/eco.mont-11-2s27Özet
Various mountainous areas in the world are noted for their floristic diversity and
the presence of endemic plants. However, no serious studies on the management
of flora tourism in areas that have a serious potential for flora tourism have previously been conducted. The present study focuses on analysing the potential for
flora tourism within the context of sustainable alternative tourism. In this context, the
Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method facilitates decision-making, and allows the
consistency of assessment criteria to be measured and their degrees of significance
to be determined. Nine main assessment criteria were identified (endemic-rare
plant count, conservation and scientific value, floristic diversity, vegetation diversity,
aesthetic plant communities, seasonal attractiveness, accessibility for visits, diversity
of utilizable plants, services provided). The priority and consistency for these criteria
were confirmed using AHP. Based on the results, the weight score for each criterion
was converted to a percentage. The method was tested using the Kackar Mountains
National Park (Turkey) as an example and the flora tourism potential of the area
was calculated, resulting in an assessment scale for the sustainability of the flora in
mountainous areas that could be applied easily in other areas