https://doi.org/10.51514/JSTR.7.2.2025.17-30
Vandana Goswam, Manisha Bisht and Mahabir Singh Negi
ABSTRACT
Homestay tourism has emerged as a vital strategy for sustainable rural development, particularly in ecologically and culturally rich regions. This study aims to identify and evaluate suitable locations for homestay tourism in the Joshimath Block of Chamoli District, Uttarakhand, using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) integrated with Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques. Seven key criteria—slope, elevation, proximity to rivers, roads, villages, protected areas, and touristic hotspots—were selected based on their significance in sustainable ecotourism development. AHP was used to derive weighted values for each parameter, and consistency of judgment was confirmed with a Consistency Ratio (CR) of 0.09, within acceptable limits. The weighted factors were incorporated into a geospatial database, and overlay analysis using the Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) method was performed to generate a composite homestay suitability map. The map categorized the region into five suitability zones: Very Low (17.25%), Low (24.40%), Moderate (20.66%), High (21.16%), and Very High (11.98%). Very High suitability zones were concentrated around key tourist and ecologically significant areas such as Joshimath, Auli, Badrinath, Valley of Flowers, and Nanda Devi National Park. These zones offer favorable conditions for promoting community-based homestay tourism due to their accessibility and biodiversity richness. The findings provide a scientific basis for informed planning and policy-making to enhance sustainable tourism and local economic development in the Himalayan region.
Keywords: Homestay tourism, Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), Site-suitability, Joshimath etc.
.