GIS-based MCDM Models for Assessing Eco-tourism Potential: A Case Study of High-Impact Areas in the Rani Khola Basin, Sikkim, India

A GIS-based multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach is used in this study to look at the Rani Khola Sub-basin in Sikkim, India, to see how good it is for ecotourism. This study uses TOPSIS, which stands for the Ordering Technique of Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and entropy methods are used to figure out the weights of the factors. There are eight criteria: elevation, slope, topographic roughness index, distance from river, distance from road, rainfall, aspect, geomorphology, NDVI, NDWI, and NDBI. This dual-weighting method works together to make sure that the evaluation is fair and complete. There are four groups on the ecotourism suitability map: highly suitable, moderately suitable, slightly suitable, and not suitable. Validation was done with secondary data from the NESDR website and ground reference data from 32 tourist spots. To test how well the map worked, the Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (ROC-AUC) was used, which confirmed that it was accurate at 0.76. This study helps policymakers and stakeholders by mapping places with high, moderate, marginal, and unsuitable potential.