Suitability evaluation for mountain-based adventure tourism: A case study of Xinjiang Tianshan, China

In recent years, there has been considerable growth in the provision of and demand for adventure tourism; however, research that examines the resources regarding adventure tourism is limited. A spatial suitability evaluation system for mountain-based adventure tourism (MBAT) was developed via the integration of the AHP-Delphi technique. The evaluation system parameters included resource conditions, difficulty levels, safety conditions, and ecological sensitivity. Furthermore, each parameter contained several indicators that can be quantified and visualised in ArcGIS. The results showed that suitable areas for professional adventure tourism in Xinjiang Tianshan include the Kurdening and Tomur regions, and the those for adventure tourism include the Tianshan Tianchi lake. Furthermore, suitable areas for experiential adventure tourism include the Tianshan Tianchi lake, Tianshan Grand Canyon, Jiangbulak, East Tianshan, Tuohurasu scenic area, and the Gongliu wild fruit forest, while those for mass adventure tourism include large areas in the middle and low altitude range of Tianshan. The methods and results proposed in this paper are expected to be significant for planning adventure tourism and can be helpful for mountain communities when choosing regions to develop for adventure tourism, formulating tourism development strategies, increasing tourism opportunities, and thus improving regional competitiveness.