Multicriteria Evaluation of Tourism Potential of Designated Tourist Destinations in Kashmir Himalayas, India

Abstract

ABSTRACT The present study focuses on evaluating the main tourist destinations in the erstwhile Baramulla district of the Kashmir Himalayas to promote tourism. Various variables such as topography, land use/forest cover, vegetation diversity, climate, food availability, accessibility, accommodation, tourism attraction characteristics, and other infrastructure amenities were used to create different indices. A field study/sample survey was conducted to gather data from tourists at each destination. The composite score method was employed to determine the level of development at each destination. The total score values (8.5 to 24) were categorized into three groups: High (8.5–13.6), Medium (13.6–18.8), and Low (18.8–24.0). The results reveal that Gulmarg and Baba Rishi Shrine have a high level of development with some degree of variation. Manasbal and Wular Lake exhibit medium levels of development, while Baba Shakur Ud Din shrine demonstrates a low level of development. The study emphasizes the need for bottom-up and top-down planning, aggressive tourism marketing, development of tourist service infrastructure, and technical assistance and training for tourism organizations to ensure proper planning and management.