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

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.
Keywords: Ecotourism, Economic Sector, Sustainable Development, GIS,
Spatial Analysis, Batticaloa