Investigating the role of the land administration system in sustainable tourism development with emphasis on natural and cultural resource management (case study Qeshm Island)

Borzabadi, P.; Gharagozlo, A.

doi:10.22061/jrsgr.2026.113388.1139

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

Department of Surveying and Geoinformatics Engineering, Faculty of Civil, Water and Environmental Engineering, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22061/jrsgr.2026.113388.1139

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Previous studies show that Geographic Information System (GIS), remote sensing, and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) have been widely used to assess tourism potential, analyze land use changes, and prepare zoning maps; however, the role of the land administration system in integrating these approaches and guiding sustainable tourism development, especially on Qeshm Island, has received less attention. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the role of the land administration system in sustainable tourism development, with an emphasis on natural and cultural resource management. In this study, land use changes were extracted and analyzed during the period 2017 to 2025 using satellite images and the SVM algorithm. Then, natural, cultural, infrastructural, and management criteria were weighted using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method and combined in a GIS environment to prepare a zoning map of areas susceptible to sustainable tourism development. The results of this study provide an integrated framework for sustainable natural and cultural resource management, spatial planning, and decision support in the land administration system.
Methods: This study is applied in nature and adopts a descriptive–analytical approach. To investigate the role of land administration systems in sustainable tourism development, remote sensing data, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) were utilized. First, Landsat satellite images from 2017 and 2025 were processed to produce land use maps, allowing the analysis of land use changes on Qeshm Island. Subsequently, criteria influencing sustainable tourism development—including natural, cultural, infrastructural, service, and managerial factors—were identified based on previous studies and expert opinions, and weighted using the AHP method. The spatial layers were then standardized in a GIS environment and integrated using a weighted overlay method to generate a suitability map for sustainable tourism development. Finally, the results were analyzed to clarify the role of land administration systems in managing natural and cultural resources and supporting managerial decision-making.
Findings: The findings showed that land-use changes on Qeshm Island during 2017–2025 followed a spatially heterogeneous pattern. The largest changes were associated with the conversion of water to barren land (38.39 km²), barren land to built-up areas (33.76 km²), and built-up areas to barren land (31.85 km²). Classification accuracy reached 86.20% in 2017 and 92.47% in 2025. In the AHP model, distance from the coast was the most important criterion (25.09%), while elevation had the lowest weight (4.67%).
Conclusion: The results showed that land-use changes on Qeshm Island during 2017–2025 varied in type and environmental implications. The most significant changes involved the conversion of water to barren land and barren land to built-up areas. The AHP results indicated that distance from the coast was the most important criterion for determining tourism development suitability. Integrating land-use changes with natural, cultural, and infrastructural criteria through GIS-based zoning demonstrates that the land administration system can effectively support sustainable tourism by spatially directing development, controlling land-use changes, and protecting natural and cultural resources.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Remote Sensing

COPYRIGHTS

(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

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Journal of Remote Sensing and Geoinformation Research

Investigating the role of the land administration system in sustainable tourism development with emphasis on natural and cultural resource management (case study Qeshm Island)

References

References

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 09 November 2026

Investigating the role of the land administration system in sustainable tourism development with emphasis on natural and cultural resource management (case study Qeshm Island)

References

References

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript Available Online from 09 November 2026

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 09 November 2026