Geotrails as a Medium for Education and Geotourism: Recommendations for Quality Improvement Based on the Results of a Research Project in the Swabian Alb UNESCO Global Geopark

Abstract

Geotourism is one of the fastest growing tourism branches. Geoparks feature prominently in geotourism as well as geoeducation. Well-designed geotrails link local geology, geoheritage and geoeducation. Unfortunately many trails do not consider or insufficiently acknowledge recent didactic and touristic findings. As a result, they fail to interest a lay audience in geological phenomena, convey relevant information, and attract tourists to the region. A catalogue of state-of-the-art criteria for the evaluation of existing geotrails based on a case study of the UNESCO Global Geopark Swabian Alb (Germany) was elaborated by a comprehensive literature research and subsequently verified on the basis of selected model trails. Finally, recommendations for model geotrails were derived. The term “model” refers in this case to aspects of geoeducation as well as geotourism. Results showed considerable enhancements, but also the further necessity of improvements such as a stronger consideration of Education for sustainable Development (ESD), a better integration of the criteria of geo-interpretation as well as the opportunities and potentials offered by the to-date too scarcely used new technologies. Our surveys in the UGGp Swabian Alb largely coincide with the results of national and international research. Often it is merely small factors that differentiate an adequate and a model geotrail. Our checklist of criteria offers a good basis for these factors.

Localizing Global Standards in Toba, Indonesia Through a Tourist-Centric Perspective On UNESCO Guidelines

“…Branding policy, with a score of 0.392, does not emerge as a dominant factor, although its relevance cannot be dismissed outright. While not as compelling as the logo or heritage identification, it is paramount to have cohesive branding to resonate with and attract tourists (Rodrigues et al, 2021;Stolz & Megerle, 2022).…”

“…Use of Logo (Rodrigues et al, 2021;Stolz & Megerle, 2022) These logos facilitate the recognition and authentication of the geopark. Moreover, accurate content together with appropriate translations regarding all promotional materials ensure that the public receives correct information.…”

“…Tourist attractions are crucial to support the development of sustainable tourism because they are the basic elements of the geo-tourism products of any global tourist destination (Berc Radisic & Basan, 2007;Drăguleasa et al, 2023;Ellerbrock & Hite, 1980;Rosentraub & Joo, 2009). A missing piece of the puzzle in regard to the literature pertains to the specific perspective of the tourists, notably regarding implementing global guidelines, for instance, those introduced by UNESCO (Katelieva et al, 2020;Mousazadeh et al, 2023;Stolz & Megerle, 2022). The distinctive geo-tourism attributes of Toba magnify this gap, as there has been limited research on how tourists perceive and accept the recommendations made by UNESCO tailored for such unique regions.…”

Landscapes of the Yazd-Ardakan Plain (Iran) and the Assessment of Geotourism—Contribution to the Promotion and Practice of Geotourism and Ecotourism

“…In comparison to other regions in the world [101][102][103][104][105][106][107][108][109][110][111][112][113][114][115][116][117][118], Yazd province's geological diversity, topographical conditions, biodiversity elements, larger climate changes, and landscapes make it a natural and iconic destination for Iranian and international ecotourists [57].…”

Assessing Geotourism Aspects of Ungaran Geothermal Areas for Promoting Sustainable Energy through Volcano-Geothermal Tourist Destination

“…Education-based geotourism aims to foster an understanding of geological phenomena, their benefits and implications for our life. This geotourism sub-sector is part of education which creates holistic access to geoscience knowledge [5]. The development of tourism in geothermalvolcano areas can also be used as a means to build broad public acceptance of geothermal energy as a sustainable energy source [6].…”