Mobile Applications as a Tool for Tourism Management in Geoparks (Case Study: Potential Geopark Małopolski Przełom Wisły, E Poland)

Abstract

One of the most important challenges facing the development of geotourism is the preparation of tourism products that present geoheritage assets. Nowadays, the Internet and various mobile applications are the primary sources of information about the tourist attractions of specific destinations. Key areas of geotourism development are currently geoparks. However, only about 5% of them have their own mobile applications. The objective of this study was to evaluate the existing mobile applications of geoparks, obtain information on tourists’ expectations of such products, and propose an application concept for the area of the potential Geopark Małopolski Przełom Wisły. One of the challenges for the potential geopark is the concentration of tourist traffic, primarily in the vicinity of the town of Kazimierz Dolny, due to the lack of knowledge of tourists about the values of the rest of the territory. The prepared application is the first geotourism product that we believe will become an important source of information for tourists and will help them in deciding which sites to visit during their stay in the aspiring geopark. When made available, it will affect more tourist traffic in places that have been rarely visited so far but have high geoheritage values, which may encourage local communities to support activities for the creation of the geopark.

1. Introduction

Geotourism is a type of cognitive tourism in which geoheritage values are the main reason for choosing tourist destinations [1,2,3]. The potential of geotourism is perceived by an increasing number of tourists. UNESCO’s Global Geoparks, which are currently the basis for the development of this type of tourism, are visited by at least 60 million tourists annually [4]. Geoparks can be defined as functional areas whose mission is the promotion and preservation of geoheritage. They are created primarily for educational and conservation purposes. Geoparks are developed mainly for the sustainable development of local communities, using geoheritage as a main resource [5,6,7]. A UNESCO Global Geopark is defined as a unified area with a geological heritage of international significance. These areas are characterized by the presence of inanimate nature objects (geosites) of high scientific value [5,8]. The network of UNESCO’s Global Geoparks is growing rapidly, with 213 areas currently belonging to it [4].

In today’s world, the use of modern technology such as mobile apps and websites is crucial when it comes to attracting and appealing to tourists [9,10,11]. Tourism is becoming increasingly “smart” [12,13]. Mobile apps help provide information about a specific area, as well as assist in navigation during a stay thanks to built-in functionalities. This makes it possible to control tourism in a specific area. Users make decisions about the places they want to visit based on the information contained in the app.

Internet marketing plays a key role in the promotion of tourist destinations. Its importance has increased, especially in the post-COVID-19 era. This includes geoparks, which are perfect areas for sustainable tourism, offering recreational opportunities but also education, nature conservation, and attractions for the younger generation. Effective management of geoparks is essential to their success, and marketing plays an important role in their promotion. Analyses performed for the websites of European geoparks indicated that they contain data on natural, historical, and cultural heritage; important sites; tourist routes; events; educational activities; and sports opportunities [14].

It should also be noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected the number of tourists visiting UNESCO Global Geoparks, which base their activities on geotourism. In response, geoparks have begun to develop various types of digital initiatives using diverse technologies [15]. These include, for example, interactive maps, allowing virtual tours of geopark areas, as well as individual mobile applications [16,17,18].

The fragment of the Vistula River Valley stretching from Zawichost to Puławy is an area of exceptional geoheritage value (Figure 1 and Figure 2). The area contains many unique geological exposures, geomorphological forms, or landscapes. For this reason, in 2010, a project to create the Małopolski Przełom Wisły Geopark was developed on request of the Ministry of Environment [19]. An inventory was made of the terrain, geology, history of raw material exploitation, etc. Eventually, 225 potential geosites were identified, thematic maps were developed, and potential geotourism routes were mapped. However, the project has not been implemented to date; the only result is the preparation of a number of publications that form the basis for the development of geotourism products [20,21,22,23]. Despite the fact that the area of the projected geopark partly includes areas that are visited by tourists in large numbers, their knowledge of geoheritage values is still low. There is a lack of products that could increase the interest of potential geotourists in the aspiring geopark. One of the best ways to promote it and geoeducate them is to use modern mobile tools.

The objective of the research was to analyze the opinions of tourists regarding touristic mobile apps and evaluate existing geoparks applications. This provided the basis to develop a mobile application of the potential Geopark Małopolski Przełom Wisły. It is to be the first comprehensive geotourism product presenting the most important values of the Geopark’s geoheritage. It can significantly increase the knowledge of tourists visiting the area about geotourist attractions. It will also help manage tourist traffic in the Geopark area; at the moment, it is concentrated mainly in the Kazimierz Dolny area. It should be noted that despite the existence of 213 UNESCO global geoparks, only 8 mobile applications prepared for these types of areas are available in the Play Store. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact reason for this. Perhaps geopark managers are relying on other forms of promoting geoheritage. Websites are probably the main means of promotion.

2. Materials and Methods

One of the methods used to obtain the necessary information for the creation of the mobile application was to conduct a survey—an analysis of the expectations of users of mobile tourism applications. It was aimed at potential users of applications related to the tourism sector. It was published in the ArcGIS Survey123 application (ESRI, Redlands, CA, USA), and then distributed to 16 tourism-related groups on Facebook. These groups included approximately 60,000 people; however, we were unable to verify how large a portion of members displayed the post asking them to complete the survey. The survey contained 12 questions and was available in Polish and English versions. The survey was conducted from 16 January 2024 to 20 June 2024. A total of 121 respondents took part in the survey.

The next step was to evaluate 11 existing geopark apps (in terms of intuitiveness) based on the functionality and content of existing apps. At the time of this writing, 11 mobile geopark apps are available in the Play Store; the keyword “geopark” was used in the search. There are perhaps other applications for the geoparks area, but since they did not contain the aforementioned keyword, they were not analyzed. The number of downloads of individual apps from the store is not high, ranging from 100 to over 1000. Among them, one is a Polish app—“Geopark Zary” (Geopark Muskau Arch, UGGp)—and the others are foreign: “Geopark Øhavet” (Geopark Det Sydfynske Øhav, UGGp), “Geopark Vestjylland” (Geopark Vestjylland, UGGp), “Geopark Terras de Cavaleiros” (Geopark Terras de Cavaleiros UGGp), “Cliffs of Fundy” (Geopark Cliffs of Fundy, UGGp), “Geopark Guide” (Geopark Karawanken, UGGp), “Magma” (Geopark Magma, UGGp), “Fire & Ice Geopark”, “Waitaki Whitestone Geopark” (Waitaki Whitestone Geopark, UGGp), “Geopark Lyd”, “Nisyros Geopark”. Eight of them are UNESCO Global Geoparks. The evaluation criteria were adopted according to our own experience with other tourism applications. These included:

• Operating system and application availability
• User interface
• Functionality

The first criterion relates to the operating system on which the mobile application is available, which means where it can be downloaded from. This issue is important because some mobile devices have Android, while others have iOS. Additionally, it is important whether it can be used offline/online. This certainly has an impact on whether a potential tourist decides to download such an app. Another criterion concerns information on how to navigate the app, so we checked whether it is intuitive and can be easily navigated. It is important that the user immediately knows what they can find in it, thanks to the menu, for example. The next criterion is functionality, that is, all the possible functions the user can perform in the application. As a result, this is how tourists compare apps among themselves. The more useful the function is, the more attractive the app becomes.

3. Results

3.1. Internet Survey

The main motive for respondents to undertake tourist activities was “Leisure and relaxation”, followed by “Learning about culture and history”, and in third place, “Learning about nature”. Nearly 68% of those who took part in the survey have used mobile applications of such areas as national parks, cities, and regions at least once. An overwhelming number of respondents had satisfactory experiences using mobile apps. Respondents found them useful: 56% gave them a rating of 4 or 5 on a 5-degree scale. Among the reasons for not using the apps, respondents indicated: “Too few apps available for a specific destination” (17 people) and “I prefer other sources of information” (15 people). The use of mobile apps is also strongly influenced by “Poor Internet quality at travel destinations” (10 people). Use of travel mobile apps is hindered by: “Too many advertisements” (54 people), “Lack of up-to-date information” (44 people), and “Difficult to navigate and use” (30 people).

Among the elements that should be included in a tourism app, respondents primarily indicated: “Routes and hiking trails” (82 people), “Maps and off-road navigation” (79 people), “Geographic information” (52 people), and “Photographs and multimedia” (50 people). Information on the functions that should be included in a mobile application is provided in

Table 1. Most important and useful features in travel mobile apps (number of responses).

Functionality	Not Useful	Not Very Useful	Useful	Very Useful
Interactive maps of the region (e.g., routes and trails, points of interest)	1	3	37	80
Database of interesting sites	1	6	43	71
Changing the map background	1	36	52	32
Adding sites to favorites	3	19	68	31
Site search	0	7	59	55
Filtering sites	4	8	63	46
Ability to add your sites/photos	18	33	50	20
Finding sites with augmented reality technology	23	43	43	12
3D model of the area	13	42	52	14
Ability to measure distances on a map	10	10	62	39
QR code scanning	20	23	57	21
Playing with other users	43	46	24	8

.

Eighty-four people indicated that they were familiar with the term “geotourism”. This answer was not verified; the actual number of people who understand the term is probably lower. Forty-four had visited a geopark several times, 28 people responded that they had never been to any geopark, and 24 people were not familiar with the term. Among the respondents, the greatest potential interest was in such geotourism features as the loess gully and the “river valley viewpoint” (about 50 respondents would like to visit such places). In turn, about one-third of respondents would be interested in visiting a spring, quarry, or monument built from local raw material. The aforementioned geosites are commonly found within the proposed geopark.

Most of the respondents were young (18–30 years)—64 people, or middle-aged (31–45 years)—28 people. Of these, the largest number of people were from the Lubelskie province—35 people. This was followed by those from Świętokrzyskie (15 people) and Mazowieckie (11 people). Ten respondents lived outside Poland. The results are not fully representative, but they do present the opinions of the most tourist-active part of Polish society.

3.2. Characteristics and Evaluation of Existing Applications

All mobile apps are available on Android, and 10 are available on iOS. All apps are online, but 4 of them are offline in addition to online. In order for a mobile app to work offline, very often you need to download a route in advance, for example. The user interface is generally easy to navigate and includes intuitive menus. Accordingly, 9 apps have the first feature and 7 have the second. It can be concluded that ease of navigation is not always proportional to intuitive menus. A minority of apps had numerous windows that overwhelmed the user.

Almost all applications (9) had the ability to include tourist routes. Equally important was the collection of sites with information about them. The next functionalities: changing the map background, adding sites to favorites, tourist routes—maps are available in 4 mobile apps. Fewer, only 2 apps have route collections with information about them and adding routes to favorites. There are also unique functionalities that include features such as filtering sites, searching for sites, finding AR sites, being able to add your sites, questions, scanning codes, and playing with others. These features are found only in individual apps. The apps are dominated by maps provided by Google Maps—7 of them. Maps from Mapbox are used in 3 apps (

Table 2. Functionality of mobile geopark applications.

Application Availability	User Interface	Functionality
“Geopark Zary” (Geopark Muskau Arc) (Germany, Poland)
Android, On-line	Easy navigation Intuitive menus	Map (Google Maps), Touristic routes (Google Maps), Change map background, Filter sites, Search for sites. A collection of sites with information about them
Øhavet Geopark (Denmark)
Android, IOS, On-line	Complicated navigation Lots of windows	Map (Google Maps), Adding sites to favorites, Touristic routes (Google Maps), Tourist routes—maps, Change of map background, Collection of sites with information about them
Geopark Vestjylland (Denmark)
Android, IOS, On-line	Complicated navigation Lots of windows	Adding sites to favorites, Tourist routes (Google Maps), Tourist routes—maps, Changing the map background, Collection of sites with information about them, Map (Google Maps)
Terras de Cavaleiros Geopark (Portugal)
Android, IOS, On-line, off-line	Easy navigation Intuitive menus	Adding sites to favorites, Finding AR sites, Changing the map background, Collection of sites with information about them, Ability to add your sites/photos, Hiking routes (Google Maps), Map (Google Maps)
Cliffs of Fundy Geopark (Canada)
Android, IOS, On-line	Easy navigation Intuitive menus	A collection of sites with information about them, Hiking routes (Google Maps), Map (Google Maps)
Geopark Karawanken (Austria, Slovenia)
Android, IOS, On-line	Easy navigation Intuitive menus Lots of windows	Tourist routes (Google Maps), Tourist routes—maps, Collection of sites with information about them, Interesting facts/questions, Code scanning, Map (Mapbox)
Geopark Magma (Norway)
Android, IOS, On-line	Easy navigation Intuitive menus	Tourist routes (Google Maps), Collection of sites with information about them, Playing with others, Map (Google Maps)
Fire & Ice Geopark (not a global geopark) (Canada)
Android, IOS, On-line	Easy navigation Intuitive menus	Tourist routes (Google Maps), Collection of sites with information about them, Map (Google Maps)
Waitaki Whitestone Geopark (New Zealand)
Android, IOS, On-line, off-line	Easy navigation Non-intuitive menus	Collection of routes with information, Adding routes to favorites, Map (Mapbox)
Geopark Lyd (Denmark) (not a global geopark)
Android, IOS, On-line, off-line	Easy navigation Non-intuitive menus	Touristic routes (Google Maps), Collection of routes with information, Adding routes to favorites, Map (Mapbox)
Nisyros Geopark (Greece) (not a global geopark)
Android, IOS, On-line, off-line	Easy navigation Intuitive menus	Tourist routes—maps, Collection of sites with information about them, Adding sites to favorites, Map (own)

).

In addition to the functionality included in the mobile applications, the most important issue is their content (

Table 3. Content of mobile geopark applications.

Name of Application	Information About the Geopark	Other Attractions	Geosites
Geopark Zary	A brief description of the history of the geopark	Cultural and historical buildings, Swimming pools, Tourist information	Brief description of the site with photos and route, Interactive element on the map
Øhavet Geopark	A brief description of the history of the creation of the geopark	Biking trails, Canoeing, Mountain biking trails, Listening to audio information, Drinking water sites, Diving sites, Geology sites, Fishing grounds, Picnic sites, Treasure hunting sites, Playgrounds, Lodging sites, Camping sites, Toilets	Brief description of the site with photos and route, Interactive element on the map
Geopark Vestjylland	A brief description of the history of the creation of the geopark Facts about the geopark Information about UNESCO Global Geoparks. Information on other Danish geoparks	Shelters, Museums, Biking points, Historical buildings, Biking trails, Canoeing, Horseback riding trails, Shelters, Campgrounds	Expanded description of a site with photos and route, Interactive element on the map
Terras de Cavaleiros Geopark	Current news regarding geopark and events	Stores, Aquaparks, Boat trips, River beaches, Accommodation, Restaurants, Cultural and religious monuments	Brief description of the site with photos and route, Interactive element on the map
Cliffs of Fundy	A brief description of the history of the creation of the geopark	Museums, Ocean Research Center	Brief description of the site with photos and route, Interactive element on the map
Geopark Guide	Facts about the geopark Description of the research carried out in the geopark. A brief description of geopark history	Museums, Viewpoints, Mountain climbing points, Information points	Interactive element on the map
Magma	Facts about the geopark A brief description of the history of the creation of the geopark	Accommodation, Campsites Information outlets, Museums Restaurants	Brief description of the site with photos and route, Interactive element on the map
Fire & Ice Geopark	A brief description of the geopark history. Facts about the geopark	Museums, Cultural sites	Brief description of the site with photos and route, Interactive element on the map
Waitaki Whitestone Geopark	Long description of the geopark. Current news regarding geopark and events	No information available	Brief description of the site with photos and route, Interactive element on the map
Geopark Lyd	A brief description of the geopark history	No information available	Brief description of the site with photos and route

). First of all, they were evaluated in terms of the quality of graphics, information about the geopark, attractions, and information about geosites and routes. All applications used original photos and clear icons and elements. This enhanced the visual appeal and navigation of the apps. The developers of one app, Magma, provided a short video introducing the geopark. Most apps provide only a brief description of the history of the geopark’s creation. This helps users realize the significance of the place they are visiting. Each app contains a collection of geosites with their descriptions and photos. In addition, they are enriched with interactive elements on the map. Potential tourists can better plan their route using the map. A standard feature is the mapping of routes to selected sites in various forms, including by car, on foot, by bicycle, etc. Øhavet Geopark is distinguished by its wide range of attractions, such as biking paths, canoeing, diving, and picnic areas, making it more attractive to a diverse group of tourists, while Geopark Terras de Cavaleiros offers information on local stores, aquaparks, boat trips, accommodations, and restaurants. The Magma geopark provides additional information, such as facts about the geopark, and the Geopark Guide additionally provides a description of the research carried out in the area. Geopark Vestjylland has information on UNESCO global geoparks, which may be of particular interest to tourists interested in geology on a broader scale. Terras de Cavaleiros Geopark and Waitaki Whitestone Geopark provide current news and information on geopark-related events, which is important for users who want to stay up to date with local events.

4. Discussion

As in the case of many areas of high geoheritage value, the basic problem of the planned geopark is the lack of geotourism products that would promote geoheritage values and facilitate the visits of tourists [21,23,24]. In our understanding, a geotourism product includes museums, trails, geoportals, and mobile apps or guidebooks [25,26]. Without them, the development of geotourism is very difficult. Potential tourists have no way to access information about geological and geomorphological attractions, and thus, the probability that they will visit the site is negligible. In the area of the aspiring Geopark Malopołski Przełom Wisły, not a single geotourist route has been designated so far, and there are information boards at only a few sites (abandoned quarries). One folder on the geopark and its most interesting geosites has been published. Local guides do not offer visits to sites of high geoheritage value. Available websites offer little information about the geology and geomorphology of the area. All this causes tourists visiting the area of the potential geopark to concentrate mainly on its northern part, especially within the renaissance city of Kazimierz Dolny [24]. Tourists come to see the town, visit the castle ruins, and walk along the promenade by the river or through the gullies. At the same time, a number of valuable geoheritage sites are not known to them; this is due to the lack of available information about the interesting geosites [20,23,27,28]. Field research indicates that Korzeniowy Dół (gully)—one of the geopark’s biggest tourist and geotourist attractions—is visited by nearly 400 people per hour during the summer season. On the other hand, the lesser-known viewpoint overlooking the Vistula Valley—Albrechtówka—receives a maximum of 1000 visitors per day [29].

The results of our survey and studies by other authors clearly indicate that tourists are eager to use the latest electronic communication solutions before making decisions when choosing a tourist destination [30,31,32]. The data contained therein influences the decision to go and visit specific sites described on websites or mobile applications. In the absence of geotourism products such as designated routes, information boards, and appropriate offers for organized tours, the role of mobile applications is particularly important. This is because such tools allow tourists to set their own sightseeing routes, including finding sites close to their current location [30]. The app can also be used for geoeducation as a modern resource for students [20,23].

Accordingly, work was undertaken to develop a mobile application for the potential Geopark Małopolski Przełom Wisły (Figure 3). The results of the survey and a review of existing mobile applications made it possible to select the appropriate information and functionality it should contain (

Table 4. Key features of mobile application of the planned Geopark Małopolski Przełom Wisły.

Functionality	Content
Availability on Android	Description of selected geosites
Online and offline access	Geological and geomorphological maps
Intuitive menus	Description of the history of the proposed geopark
Interactive map of facilities	Original photos and graphic elements
Map of tourist routes	Glossary of basic geotourism terms
Collection of tourist facilities
Changing the map background
Change the language to English and Polish
Filtering sites in a collection
Searching for sites in a collection

). The app will make it possible to provide visitors with information about the most important geoheritage sites, including those that are less well known. On the one hand, this will allow for a reduction in tourist traffic in Kazimierz Dolny and its immediate vicinity as visitors are redirected to selected geosites. Such changes in the spatial structure of tourist traffic may increase the interest of communities and local authorities in the development of geotourism and efforts to create a geopark [33]. Indeed, an increase in the number of visitors to geoheritage sites would be an indication that they may be of interest to tourists. The selection of geosites did not take into account the potential risks posed by tourists. The nature of the sites—quarries, viewpoints, loess landforms—means that some danger exists, but it is not significant in our opinion.

A key component of the application is information on geopark geoheritage. Geosite networks, due to their geological and geomorphological values, are the basic elements of geoparks. The mobile application includes descriptions of 30 geosites with the highest geotourism values, which are divided into three categories: 10 viewpoints, 10 quarries, and 10 gullies (Figure 4). The viewpoints were selected based on the results of the assessment using GIS tools carried out by Gajek and Zgłobicki (2021) [22]. The studies carried out so far indicate that the viewpoints have some of the highest geotourism values among geosites and at the same time are frequently visited by tourists [26,27]. Exposures in quarries located in the geopark area showcase the area’s most important scientific values and document its history. The application includes those that received the highest ratings in the assessment made by Gajek et al. (2019) [23]. They present the geological history of the area and are important sites for education. The third category is loess heritage, among which gully forms predominate, which, in addition to their educational value, are used for hiking [21]. At the same time, these are among the most recognizable and frequently visited geoheritage sites by tourists. Most of the geosites included in the application are located in the northern part of the geopark, which is due to the highest geotourism values of the area. In the future, it will be advisable to expand the geosites database to include sites located in the southern and central parts of the geopark.

Another component of the application is maps of the Geopark area: location, geological map, numerical terrain model (topography). It also includes an interactive map of geosites in ArcGIS Online. It can be moved and rescaled, as well as select sites and go to their description. Around the interactive map are buttons that act as widgets. The buttons: quarries, loess heritage and viewpoints, are layers that can be turned on and off on the map when pressed. The app also includes explanations of basic terms such as geotourism, geopark, geosites, geoheritage, etc. Since scenic qualities play an important role in deciding on tourist destinations, the app includes a number of author’s photos showcasing the described geosites (Figure 5). The main structure and appearance of the app are shown in Figure 6 and Figure 7. It is planned to be placed in the Play Store in the near future after the final tests.

The number of mobile applications for geoparks is not large, and therefore, a synthetic look at this issue is valuable. The conducted surveys and analyses of existing applications allowed us to prepare a proposal for our own mobile application for the aspiring geopark. As mentioned, it is the second application of its kind in Poland and, in fact, the first synthetic geotourism product for a geopark area. Some weaknesses of the research include the small number of responses collected in the surveys and the lack of information on their actual use by tourists. In the future, after the developed application is made available in the Play Store, research should be undertaken into its real impact on tourist traffic in the aspiring geopark area. The sites should also be adequately prepared for tourists. This should include measures to ensure the safety of visitors (individual sites) on the one hand, and to protect them from damage on the other (mainly loess geoheritage). In our opinion, however, the increase in the number of tourists will not be very significant.

5. Conclusions

Tourist traffic in the area of the potential Geopark Małopolski Przełom Wisły is highly spatially diversified. There is, therefore, a need to promote the values of sites located outside the immediate surroundings of a tourist center such as Kazimierz Dolny. The results of the survey indicated the widespread use of mobile applications by tourists. They can be a very good way to manage tourist traffic in a specific area since they provide information about rarely visited but valuable geotourism sites. For the area of the potential geopark, there is sufficient scientific and spatial data that allowed for the preparation of a mobile application. The prepared mobile application is the first geotourism product for the studied geopark and, once implemented, can significantly increase interest in its heritage. A change in the structure of tourist traffic, such as an increase in the number of tourists at lesser known geoheritage sites, may increase the interest of local communities in taking action to establish a geopark. A certain challenge is, on the one hand, to promote the application so that it is used by tourists. On the other hand, redirecting tourist traffic to previously unvisited places makes it necessary to adapt them for visitors. This is especially true for the sites of loess geoheritage, which are most vulnerable to damage.