Comprehensive evaluation of ecotourism resources in Xuefeng mountain national forest park, Hunan Province

This study aims to evaluate the potential of the Hunan Xuefeng mountain national forest park’s ecological tourism development comprehensively, with the objective of providing decision-making support that is precise and operable for the collaborative advancement of ecological conservation and tourism development, spatial layout optimization, product system upgrading, and high-quality development paths.

The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was employed, following a 3-level progressive structure of “general objective layer–criterion layer–indicator layer”, to compare and judge layer by layer and determine the relative importance of each element. Combined with field research and expert consultation, a systematic analysis of the park’s advantages and disadvantages in terms of resource endowment, ecological quality, and development support capacity was conducted.

Based on the three criterion layers of resource conditions, ecological environment conditions, and tourism development conditions, an evaluation system containing 14 specific indicators was constructed. The weights of each level were calculated through the judgment matrix, and a comprehensive evaluation was conducted. The results showed that: 1) Resource conditions (B1) had the highest weight (0.65), highlighting Xuefeng mountain’s rich and unique natural landscapes, geological heritage, and biodiversity, which are its core attractions; 2) Tourism development conditions (B3) had the second highest weight (0.21), indicating that the current traffic accessibility, reception facilities, and service systems have initially taken shape and have a certain carrying capacity; 3) Ecological environment conditions (B2) had a weight of 0.14, ranking third but still at an excellent level. The high forest coverage rate (exceeding 90%), clean air and water sources, and stable ecosystem constitute its ecological tourism’s important basic advantages.

The Xuefeng mountain national forest park has a strong foundation of ecological tourism resources and a good overall development trend, but there are problems such as a single product structure, insufficient excavation of cultural connotations, weak regional linkage, and limited brand influence. In view of the realistic contradiction of “strong resource endowment and weak integration capability”, it is suggested that: implementing gradient development to promote symbiotic development; improving infrastructure and optimizing the internal and external environment; planning scientifically and creating scenic corridors; enriching cultural landscapes and promoting health care projects; innovating diversified formats and developing characteristic products; encouraging community participation and helping rural revitalization. It is expected that these suggestions can provide practical paths for promoting the sustainable and high-quality development of ecological tourism in Xuefeng mountain national forest park.