Suitability evaluation of regional coastal ecotourism based on SOM neural network model: a case study of Qingdao, Yantai, Weihai and Rizhao of Shandong Province

Development of coastal ecotourism has been a focus of Shandong government, and the suitability evaluation of regional coastal ecotourism is crucial for the reasonable plan and sustainable development of Shandong coastal ecotourism. By using MATLAB language to establish a SOM neural network model, this paper evaluates the coastal ecotourism suitability of four regions, Qingdao, Yantai, Weihai and Rizhao of Shandong Province and divides 33 subordinate regions of those four cities into four categories, i.e. regions poorly suitable for ecotourism resources, regions highly suitable for coastal ecotourism, regions secondly suitable for coastal ecotourism, regions ordinarily suitable for coastal ecotourism. Related suggestions on development of regional coastal ecotourism have been given in the final conclusions.