INVESTIGATING AND PLANNING ECOTOURISM AREA FOCUSED ON FOREST VILLAGERS VIA THE ANALYTICAL HIERARCHY PROCESS

Ecotourism has emerged as an alternative form of tourism that brings together urban dwellers and forest villagers, while also promoting the sustainability of forest resources. This study aimed to identify the key factors influencing ecotourism in forest villages and to determine the most suitable areas based on these factors. Giresun province served as the study area, where we collected data through interviews with stakeholders and industry professionals. The collected data were analysed using the SPSS23 program and the AHP analysis, which resulted in the identification of influential factors and the mapping of suitable ecotourism areas using ArcGIS 10.8. As a result of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests, it was observed that the data showed a normal distribution and there was a significant relationship between the variables (p > 0,05). The findings from the interviews revealed that ecotourism can serve as a significant source of income and be pursued as a full-time occupation. Furthermore, it was determined that 50 forest villages in Giresun are situated within the most suitable ecotourism area. Based on the comprehensive analyses conducted, this study will establish an economically viable access road to the forest village, facilitating optimal land-use planning in the designated areas.