Application of GIS technologies for assessing the region’s tourism potential (a case study of the Lori region, Armenia)
S.S. BAGHDASARYAN, V.V. ARUTYUNYAN, T.V. POGOSYAN
Vanadzor State University, Vanadzor, Armenia
Keywords: assessment component, digital layers, operational territorial cell, database, scoring, resource assessment methodology
Abstract
The article presents methodological guidelines for assessing the territory of the Lori region of the Republic of Armenia based on the results of the analysis of the tourism potential of its natural resources. The assessment methodology based on scientific data uses a scoring system that allows taking into account natural resources reserves. The features of applying methodological tools for obtaining an integral assessment of the region’s tourism potential are considered. The study area was fragmented into a network of square-shaped operational territorial cells. After that, centroids were calculated for each square, to which the calculated scores corresponding to the selected criteria were attached. On this basis, further analysis and mapping were carried out using the Spatial Analyst Tools set. When assessing and mapping the tourism potential of the natural resources of the Lori region, the ArcMap 10.8 tools were used. A multifunctional method for a generalized assessment of all the selected components of natural conditions and resources is proposed. It is shown that the method makes it possible to form an idea of the natural resource reserves of the Lori region and to determine the fundamental areas of tourism activity. The main attention is focused on the description of the development of standards for the selected assessment criteria; the scoring system was analyzed. It is recommended to use this method for those regions tourism potential of which has not previously been analyzed and assessed.
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