GIS-based hybrid modelling for sustainable tourism planning and service quality gap assessment in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

The tourism industry is integral to a country’s GDP, for Bangladesh as well. It is apparent that Cox’s Bazar is lagging behind in proper planning, environmentally friendly approaches, and service quality. It is a paradigm of haphazard development and Infrastructure-dependent over the environment. This study aims to identify quality gaps, key planning factors for eco-tourism development, and suitable sites using GIS-based hybrid modelling in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Primary data were collected from 386 tourists through a semi-structured questionnaire survey using gender-stratified sampling. The survey was conducted during the peak tourist season; therefore, the reported satisfaction levels primarily reflect the perceptions of peak-season visitors and may not fully represent visitor experiences across different seasons or demographic and travel-purpose groups. Secondary data were collected from Landsat 8, the weather and climate website, and the Cox’s Bazar Development Authority. This study employed PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses), Multicriteria Satisfaction Analysis, Fuzzy logic, Random Forest, K-means clustering, and Radial Basis Function Neural Network methods for data analysis. Cox’s Bazar performs well in hotel cleanliness (72.30%), staff behaviour (75.83%), and Regional transport affordability (68.56–68.94%), reflecting strong core tourism potential (overall satisfaction: 62.17%). However, very low satisfaction with scam control (21.45%), public toilets (20.65%), beach shower facilities (18.23%), and night safety (41.78%) highlights critical gaps that limit the visitor experience. Along with this study, the area was delineated into five zones from the backshore to 900 m, with the most inappropriate area being the Central Business District of Cox’s Bazar. This study suggests strengthening transport governance with regulated fares, licensed vehicles, monitoring systems, and a fixed-route electric tram, alongside improved basic facilities. Promote sustainable tourism through decentralization, eco-tourism development, and enhanced safety measures.