University of Gondar

College of Business and Economics

Department of Tourism Management

Article Review for the Course of geographic information system and

remote sensing

(THMgt-532)

Prepared by: Yirdaw Sisay

Submitted To: Abel, M. (Asst. Professor)

Submission date 29/04/2021

Gondar, Ethiopia
 Table of contents

Contents pages
1. Introduction......................................................................................................................................1
2. Summery...........................................................................................................................................2
3. Results...............................................................................................................................................2
4. Foundation........................................................................................................................................3
5. Contribution.....................................................................................................................................3
6. Synthesis...........................................................................................................................................3
7. Analysis.............................................................................................................................................3
8. General Critiques.................................................................................................................................3
9. Relevance of the article........................................................................................................................4
References.................................................................................................................................................5
Bibliography

(Nino et al., 2017)Nino, K., Mamo, Y., Mengesha, G., & Sahle, K. (2017). GIS based ecotourism
potential assessment in Munessa Shashemene Concession Forest and its surrounding area ,
Ethiopia GIS based ecotourism potential assessment in Munessa Shashemene Concession
Forest and its surrounding area, Ethiopia. Applied Geography, 82(May), 48–58.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2017.02.010

Year: 2017

Volume: 82

Pages: 48- 58

Reviewer: Yirdaw sisay.

1. Introduction
The main purpose of this study was to understand GIS based ecotourism potential of Munessa
Shashemene Concession Forest and its surrounding area in Ethiopia.

The topic area: The application of GIS and remote sensing in tourism development and monitoring
Appropriateness: as one can understand from the title and objectives this article basically focusing
on the assessment of ecotourism potential areas using Remote Sensing and GIS techniques. Land
and its resources can be detected, mapped, and analyzed using remote sensing and geographic
information system (GIS) techniques in conjunction with the secondary and ground truth data.
Mapping helps to identify areas where environmental and natural resources are located and to pass
appropriate decision. In addition, since the issue focus on soil erosion prone areas, the Journal is
appropriate and persuaded for this article.
Audiences: the intended audiences of this paper include the stakeholders in tourism destination are:
local residents, local companies, media, employees, government, competitors, tourists, business
associations, activists and tourism developers. The paper aims at analyzing and segmenting
destination's citizens according to their attitudes towards tourism.

Is the article being primary or secondary source? The article used both primary and secondary
data containing of time series observations over the period to build the article. These data were
obtained from published reports and online databases of different sources.
 2. Summery
This study ambitions to recognize GIS based ecotourism ability of Munessa Shashemene Concession
Forest and its surrounding location in Ethiopia. Landsat photographs from 2009/2010 and 2013 had
been used to power baseline facts including land cover, land use, circulate and street. Elevation
based totally agro-ecology and slope map have been derived from SRTM DEM. Rapid wild animals
survey, identifying the location of acknowledged historical, cultural and particular functions were
executed inside the filed with the help of key-informants. A suitability version become designed in
GIS surroundings to evaluate the suitability of a place for tourism thinking about suitability factors
such as land cowl types, wild animal sector, unique features, topography and distance to a street. The
end result confirmed areas which can be especially appropriate, fairly suitable, marginally
appropriate, or unsuitable for tourism.

The article points out that the vintage large, Podocarpus (Podocarps falcatus) trees that serve as
habitat of the endangered and endemic mountain nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni), have been recognized
as very excessive suitable areas for vacationers. The exceptionally suitable areas include wooded
area vicinity along the lake that's seasonally visited by means of mountain nyala and areas of
plantation wooded area which are discovered adjoining to natural wooded area. These regions follow
remnants of the natural woodland and located alongside boundary among the mid-highland and the
highland agro-ecologies. The agricultural land use types including maize/haricot-bean and
wheat/barley have been evaluated as marginally suitable, though those can be taken into
consideration as capacity for agri-tourism. The examiner found out that the concession place is
located to be an appropriate area with its huge capability for ecotourism improvement.

3. Results
The result of the research showed areas which are highly suitable, moderately suitable, marginally
suitable, or unsuitable for tourism.
The old giant, Podocarpus (Podocarpus falcatus) trees that serve as habitat of the endangered and
endemic mountain nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni), were identified as very high suitable areas for
tourists.
The highly suitable areas include forest area along the lake which is seasonally visited by mountain
nyala and areas of plantation forest that are found adjacent to natural forest.
These areas follow remnants of the natural forest and found along boundary between the
midhighland and the highland Agro-ecologies.
The study founded that the agricultural land use types consisting of maize/haricot bean and
wheat/barley were evaluated as marginally suitable, nevertheless these could be considered as
potential for Agri-tourism. The study revealed that the concession area is found to be a suitable area
with its huge potential for ecotourism development.
4. Foundation
The study is based on empirical and; theoretical models are based on the science of Remote Sensing
to identify potential ecotourism sites in the study area mainly by considering the natural features.
Using weighting of each factor, three criteria and five-factor maps are identified.

5. Contribution
The article contributes in adding new concepts in the research field and to the researchers. Thus,
Ecotourism is one of sub-component in the field of sustainable tourism. Ecotourism’s perceived
potential as an effective tool for sustainable development is the main reason why developing
countries are now embracing it, and including it in their economic development and conservation
strategies.

6. Synthesis
The article states that Ecotourism is expressed as when tourists are attracted to a given geographic
area (i.e. space) which has its own available natural, environmental, and socioeconomic resources by
considering environmental sustainability, local benefit, and promotion. Space is an elementary part
of ecotourism activities. GIS can be used in tourism as a decision supporting tool for sustainable
tourism planning, impact assessment, visitor flow management, and tourism site selection

7. Analysis
From this research it is understood that in the tourism industry, GIS is used to provide: A digital map
base for printed maps, Digital files for Internet mapping, Digital files for mobile mapping,
Attractions map, Website with interactive mapping GIS technology offers great opportunities for
the development of modern tourism applications using maps.

8. General Critiques
Negative critiques
 The article is too short and it lacks detailed information in complex way some concepts are no
clear to read and understand easily.
Positive critiques
 The paper clearly articulates the application of GIS in tourism sector
 The article is group work that shows the contribution of different people, different ideas etc.
 The research was conducted using primary sources of data in most
 The article is more explained using different methods
 The researchers tried to refer lots of prior researches, journals, articles
9. Relevance of the article
The article is the most important and written at the right time and reported that A suitability model
was designed in GIS environment to assess the suitability of an area for tourism considering
suitability factors such as land cover types, wild animal zone, unique features, topography and
distance to a road
Questions
1. What is application of Remote Sensing and GIS for ecotourism site suitability Assessment?
2. What are different techniques used to Remote Sensing and GIS for tourist attraction areas
Assessment?
3. Why we use Remote Sensing and GIS for ecotourism potential Assessment?
References
Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism (1999-2002) Conservation.

Greer JD (1998) Natural Resource Management Using Remote Sensing and GIS. In: Forest Service
Remote Sensing Applications Conference 1998: Nassau Bay, Tex). American Society for
Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.

Nino, K., Mamo, Y., Mengesha, G., & Sahle, K. (2017). GIS based ecotourism potential assessment
in Munessa Shashemene Concession Forest and its surrounding area , Ethiopia GIS based
ecotourism potential assessment in Munessa Shashemene Concession Forest and its
surrounding area,Ethiopia.AppliedGeography,82 (May),48–58.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2017.02.010

Ramaswami N, John J (2012) Ecotourism A Sustainable Option Need For Effective Planning.
Published as report on AICTE Short Term Training Programme Through on Emerging Trends
in Planning, pp: A2, 1 A2..