Evaluating the Touristic Potential of Georgia’s Landscapes
Abstract: The main purpose of this study is to elaborate the methodology of evaluating the tourism potential of landscapes based on concept of the spatial-temporal analysis and synthesis of natural territorial complexes (NTCs). The object of the studies is whole territory of Georgia. For this purpose, a great number of statistical data, long-term field-work observations in different landscapes, cartographic and fund materials were used. All these data were grouped in accordance with three main factors, such as natural, social-economic and historic-cultural factors. Particular attention was paid to some issues: systematization of data accrued in branch-geographical and statistical sources, referring different branch-geographical data to the landscape units, estimation of main driving forces, functions and the degree of tourism potential, creation of landscape inventory and thematic mapping. The study is based on comprehensive analysis, which enables to define high and low potential of various landscape units and allows comparing the tourism potentials of landscapes with each other taking into consideration integrated parameter based on the multifactor analysis. The main features of uneven territorial distribution of tourism potential of Georgia’s landscapes have been revealed. The cartographic base of the work is the Landscapes map of Georgia on a scale of 1: 1,000,000 and 1: 500,000, where the landscape types, subtypes, genera, types of NTCs are shown. All these data were processed by means of GIS analysis, overlay procedures and series of the thematic maps was done.