Identifying and mapping forest-based ecotourism areas in West Virginia – Incorporating visitorsʹ preferences

This study identifies and maps forest-based ecotourism areas in West Virginia by incorporating visitorsʹ preferences. Relative weights for ecotourism destination criteria were obtained using the Analytic Hierarchy Process based on a survey of 777 participants. The study classified the state into five levels of naturalness with areas under Class I being the least natural and Class V being the most natural. The presence of wildlife was found to be the most important criterion and slope was found to be the least. Results also showed significant variations in visitorsʹ preferences. Areas under Class IV and Class V in both weighted and unweighted ecotourism maps covered more than half of the stateʹs area, suggesting high prospects for promoting forest-based ecotourism in the state. The results further showed that each class changed in size when visitorsʹ preferences were applied. The ecotourism maps created provide useful insights for visitors, destination managers, and decision makers.