Measuring natural and recreational potential using Land Use/Land Cover Classification (LULC) for tourism development in mountainous regions: A case study of the Kyrgyz Republic

Abstract

The tourism potential of the Kyrgyz Republic, based on the natural and recreational resources of mountainous regions, as well as its biodiversity and historical and cultural heritage, allows the Kyrgyz Republic to integrate into the international tourism market and achieve intensive development of the tourism sector in the country. Consequently, we aimed to combine information about land use/land cover (LULC) with the potential for outdoor activities to develop and to provide recommendations to potential stakeholders about tourism development. This was achieved by combining a literature review, remote sensing, and geographical information systems (GIS). We studied changes in the LULC of the Naryn and Issyk Kul regions over 27 (1994 to 2021) and 24 years (1997 to 2021), respectively. The analysis before us showed that glaciers were shrinking in the Issyk-Kul region, and in the Naryn region, they increased. In the future, in developing a tourist concept, first of all, it is necessary to take into account natural factors, especially the movement of the glaciers of the country. For the development of tourism by type, especially winter tourism, it is very important to consider the trends of all classes of classification of LULC.