Site Selection for Ski Resort Development in Summer Tourism Regions Using Geographic Information Systems and the Analytic Hierarchy Process

It is quite difficult to benefit from winter tourism in regions where summer tourism is dominant, particularly under the increasing impacts of climate change observed in recent years. In this study, the most suitable locations for ski resort development in the Cameli District of Denizli—located in the Mediterranean region where summer tourism is prevalent—were identified using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The site selection was based on a comprehensive evaluation of environmental and physical factors, including snow cover, elevation, temperature, wind conditions, water resources, and road networks. Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data were used to generate Digital Elevation Models (DEMs); however, higher-resolution DEMs were also obtained using the Interferometric SAR (InSAR) method to improve terrain representation. Analyses were conducted using both SRTM- and InSAR-derived DEMs, and the resulting suitability maps were comparatively evaluated. To define realistic snow cover conditions for seasonal winter tourism in a summer-dominated region, nearby ski resorts located within approximately 150 km of the study area—namely Denizli, Salda, Saklikent, and Davraz—were examined as reference cases, rather than for direct spatial comparison. Based on this integrated GIS–AHP analysis, the most suitable areas for ski resort development in the Cameli District were determined.