A GIS-based fuzzy analysis for mapping the touristic potential in Lazio Region (Italy)

Abstract

Sustainable tourism is a key function for socio-economic development in Italy. Identifying cultural heritage, environmental, landscape resources, processes and features is one of the most important strategies for sustainable and efficient urban planning and management. The Italian jurisdictional framework defines regional plans by means of specific laws that govern zoning procedures and regulations with operational guidelines and bounding conditions for urban planning. While urban and land development is the subject of several regionally mapped governing and zoning plans, tourism is often locally regulated, and a national tourism plan is still in a phase of initial implementation. As a result, spatially distributed regulatory and management information regarding the economic, social and cultural value of tourism at the country scale are not available. This research proposes and tests an experimental GIS methodology for mapping the touristic potential using open geo data developed by means of using a quantitative index. The spatial distribution of the presented tourism potential index is based on two main input parameters: landscape diversity and drive-time accessibility from a central mobility location. The first parameter defines the local attractiveness, the second the potential fruition of touristic resources. The Lazio Region, in central Italy, is selected as case study for its rich and heterogeneous landscape heritage, in most cases spread around its internal – not easily accessible – areas. Available geographic data are gathered and processed by means of spatial analysis techniques, in order to obtain numerical values, subsequently classified by GIS-based fuzzy logic measures. Results show a homogeneous map of index-based local destinations’ attractiveness, based on easy understandable value-scale, that shall be used as a support decision and policy making tool.