Measuring the attractiveness of hunting tourism destinations with an AHP approach

Many studies have examined hunting satisfaction and identified factors that influence hunting tourism behaviour. However, the attractiveness of hunting tourism destinations requires further exploration, and its key dimensions need to be defined. This study used the Analytical Hierarchy Process to assess the attractiveness of hunting tourism destinations, aiming to understand the contribution of their key elements and dimensions to overall appeal. The goal was to contribute to the hunting tourism literature through an expert evaluation of what makes a hunting destination attractive. Hunting tourism experts (hunting managers, hunting outfitters, hunting enterprises, and academic scholars) were asked to select between various pairs of items (six factors and 32 attributes). The results show that at the first level of the hierarchy, the most important criterion of attractiveness is hunting tourism infrastructure. The findings indicate that the attractiveness of hunting destinations is influenced by natural resources but also by the functionality of the destination. According to hunting tourism experts, the main factors for an attractive hunting destination are quality of game populations, a well-maintained hunting lodge, and easy access to the site.