One Billion Years of Earth History: Challenges of Valorizing the Outstanding Geodiversity of Southwest Germany for Sustainable Geotourism

Abstract

The German state of Baden-Württemberg boasts outstanding geo-, bio-, and archaeological diversity, and hosts two of the world’s oldest geoparks. Based on this case study, we explore why the outstanding geoheritage has not been valorized to a greater extent for a lay audience and where best to strike the balance between valorization and protection, with a particular focus on recent developments including the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results show that the valorizing of the geopotentials is still insufficient. Better marketing can make an important contribution to regional added value, as well as—in combination with professional geo-education—a relevant contribution to raising awareness of the state’s natural assets. Adequate measures to protect geotopes in a sustainable manner are crucial, notably in light of problems arising from overtourism, as thrown into sharp relief during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

“…Our case study, the UNESCO Global Geopark (UGGp) Swabian Alb, located in Southwest Germany, is one of the oldest geoparks in the world [17] and features a significant number of geotrails of various types. Within the framework of a small research project, a catalogue of state-of-the-art criteria to evaluate existing geotrails was elaborated on the basis of a previous SWOT-Analysis, comprehensive literature research and subsequently verified on the basis of exemplarily selected trails in the Geopark Swabian Alb.…”

Coupling Coordination Degree between the Socioeconomic and Eco-Environmental Benefits of Koktokay Global Geopark in China

“…Therefore, on the premise of protecting geological heritage, geoparks should fully take advantage of the value of geological heritage resources, reasonably develop geotourism, and work toward sustainable development, in which socioeconomic development and the eco-environment are coordinated. However, current studies on geoparks have mostly focused on geological heritage evaluations [ 59 , 60 ], geotourism [ 61 , 62 ], geological resource protection [ 63 ], geodiversity and biodiversity [ 64 , 65 ], the sustainable development of geoparks [ 66 , 67 ], etc. In particular, geological heritage evaluation and geotourism, as important aspects of achieving the sustainable development of geoparks, have attracted considerable attention from scholars in recent years.…”