Abstract: With the continuous advancement and in-depth implementation of ecological civilization policies and rural revitalization strategies in the field of rural tourism, the transformation of reservoir-type scenic areas towards multifunctional utilization has gained increasing attention in both theoretical research and practical exploration. This paper takes Huangcaoba Reservoir in Jianxing Township, Yuxi City, Yunnan Province as the research object, and constructs an evaluation system for the ecological tourism suitability of reservoir-type areas from three dimensions: natural environment, recreational resources, and socio-economic factors. Using GIS technology and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), the study comprehensively evaluates the ecological tourism environment of Huangcaoba Reservoir. Based on the results of the ecological suitability assessment, the area is divided, and an overall planning and scenic area project planning are formulated. The study shows that Huangcaoba Reservoir has good overall ecological suitability and rich recreational resources, which provide supplementary insights for the ecological tourism suitability zoning. According to the suitability results, the ecological protection and buffer areas are mainly distributed in the low suitability, lower suitability, and basic suitability areas, accounting for 51.55%, with water bodies as the main land type, where vegetation community protection should be prioritized during planning. The ecological recreational area is distributed in the high suitability area, accounting for 16.46%, mainly in forest land, with good ecological conditions and strong carrying capacity, making it suitable for the planning and development of recreational projects. In the context of recreational planning and design for reservoir-based scenic areas, it is imperative to focus on the harmonization of ecological and tourism development plannings to facilitate the effective implementation of projects.