Spatial Analysis of Inequality in Rural Tourism Suitability in Fars Province

Fars Province holds significant potential for rural tourism development, thanks to its unique attractions. However, the lack of a clear identification of these potentials has led to unbalanced development and inefficient resource use. This study analyzes the spatial inequality of rural tourism potential in Fars Province using an integrated AHP–Fuzzy–GIS approach. The main criteria—tourism attractions, topography, accessibility and location, land capability, climatic conditions, and service infrastructure—were evaluated and weighted across 27 sub-criteria. GIS-based spatial layers were standardized and integrated with a Fuzzy Overlay algorithm. The final rural tourism suitability map was classified into five categories. Pairwise comparisons indicate that tourism attractions are the most influential factor in Fars Province’s tourism development, with a weight of 0.41. Accessibility and location (0.22) and topography (0.16) rank second and third, respectively. Spatial analysis shows that 14.71% of the province’s area is “not suitable,” 26.53% is “marginally suitable,” 29.19% is “moderately suitable,” 22.16% is “suitable,” and 7.41% is “very suitable.” These findings highlight the need to focus on areas with higher potential (moderately suitable and above) and to implement spatial planning to improve conditions in low-potential areas. Moreover, the “very suitable” areas should be prioritized for protection and sustainable management to prevent adverse pressures from tourism development.