Geotourism

Abstract

Geotourism is one of the newest concepts within the field of tourism, and primarily focuses on promoting geological and geomorphological features in landscapes as tourist attractions. This new niche market segment within tourism is based on the conservation of geoheritage and geodiversity through appropriate sustainability measures and management. Geotourism is, however, a broad concept which encompasses many aspects of a range of tourism activities, such as transport, accommodation, destination amenities, recreation, planning, and management. A testament to the rapid growth of geotourism worldwide is the expansion of membership of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network, from 20 geoparks when it was founded in 2004 to 140 in 2018 (Global Geopark Network: http://www.globalgeopark.org/homepageaux/tupai/6513.htm). Concurrent with the growth of geotourism, there has been an explosion in the number of scientific publications on issues related to the subject over the past few years. To date, the major focus of these publications has been on geotourism as an economic driver with respect to rural development. This special issue of Geotourism presents a collection of 11 scientific contributions that underpin the intimate connection between geotourism and its geological resources, while at the same time highlighting the broad scope of geotourism. These contributions increase our understanding of how geotourism has evolved over time, as well as its setting out what challenges it faces in the future.

Aesthetic Value of Colluvial Blocks in Geosite-Based Tourist Destinations: Evidence from SW Russia

“…If so, both should become subjects of investigation. In regard to the above-said, the ongoing rise of geotourism, the global geopark movement, and geodiversity concepts [4,[7][8][9][10][11] have made urgent consideration of spectacular geological features with their specific aesthetic properties among key natural tourist attractions. This is especially the case of natural landscapes dominated by unique geological features.…”

Geoparks and Education: UNESCO Global Geopark Villuercas-Ibores-Jara as a Case Study in Spain

“…In step with the establishment of geoparks, geotourism emerged as a new concept in the 1990s [15], with the aim being to use tourism to raise awareness in matters related to geology and its conservation [16]. Hose [17] (p. 16) defines it as "The provision of interpretative and service facilities to enable tourists to acquire knowledge and understanding of the geology and geomorphology of a site (including its contribution to the development of the Earth sciences) beyond the level of a mere aesthetic appreciation".…”

Assessing Geotourism Resources on a Local Level: A Case Study from Southern Moravia (Czech Republic)

“…In the last few decades, the geotourism has shown considerable growth all over the world [1][2][3][4]. Originally, and in a strict sense, the geotourism was defined in the 1990s as "the provision of interpretive and service facilities to enable tourists to acquire knowledge and understanding of the geology and geomorphology of a site (including its contribution to the development of the Earth sciences) beyond the level of mere aesthetic appreciation" [5].…”