Mapping and Assessment of Intangible Cultural Heritage and Its Effect on Tourism in Sulaimani Province Using GIS-MCDA

This study provides a comprehensive spatial assessment of intangible cultural heritage (ICH), across the 12 districts of Sulaimani Province in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Utilizing Geographic Information System (GIS) integrated with Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) and the Analytical Network Process (ANP), the research successfully identifies and classifies the ICH tourism potential of each district.The evaluation process began with the systematic collection and organization of data into ten key ICH-related criteria, including annual festivals and celebrations, religious reflections, arts and music, traditional food and drink, traditional clothing and cosmetics, and craftsmanship. These criteria were transformed into spatial datasets and processed into raster format to enable advanced spatial modeling. Fuzzy logic and ANP weighting were then applied to ensure consistency, standardization, and scientific rigor in measuring the significance of each criterion.The findings revealed that Sulaimani Center holds the highest potential for ICH tourism, scoring exceptionally well across nearly all criteria, particularly in areas such as festivals, religious practices, and traditional arts. Ranya, Chamchamal, and Pshdar also demonstrated strong ICH presence, suggesting these districts are well-suited for focused cultural tourism development. In contrast, districts such as Mawat, Saidsadiq, Qaradagh, and Sharazur showed the lowest ICH potential, highlighting the need for further heritage documentation, preservation, and development in these areas.This study contributes to the field of sustainable tourism planning by providing a detailed, data-driven approach to identifying and preserving cultural heritage. By pinpointing areas of high ICH value and potential, it lays the groundwork for informed policy-making and heritage conservation strategies in Sulaimani Province.