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Open AccessArticle
The Geotourism Product—What It Is and What It Is Not
by
Ľubomír Štrba
Ľubomír Štrba
Ľubomír Štrba is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Mining, Ecology, Process Control and of [...]
Ľubomír Štrba is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Mining, Ecology, Process Control and Geotechnologies, Technical University of Kosice, Slovakia. His expertise lies in geotourism and geological heritage and its assessment, geoconservation, as well as broader aspects of geology.
His primary research focuses on identifying and evaluating geological heritage for the development of specialized tourism, including geotourism and mining tourism. He is also dedicated to protecting abiotic nature components and educating the public about Earth's geology, emphasizing the importance of geological heritage and geodiversity within the environment.
He actively collaborates with Destination Management Organizations (DMOs), such as Visit Kosice, to advance tourism development. He is the principal and first author of the only Slovak university textbook focusing on geotourism. He is a member of the International Association for the Conservation of Geological Heritage (ProGEO) and the Slovak Geological Society (SGS).
Silvia Bodzáš Palgutová
Silvia Bodzáš Palgutová 
,
Ján Derco
Ján Derco
Branislav Kršák
Branislav Kršák
Csaba Sidor
Csaba Sidor
Institute of Earth Resources, Faculty of Mining, Ecology, Process Control and Geotechnologies, Technical University of Košice, Letná 9, 042 00 Košice, Slovakia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Geosciences 2025, 15(7), 270; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences15070270 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 17 June 2025
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Revised: 5 July 2025
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Accepted: 6 July 2025
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Published: 12 July 2025
Abstract
The worldwide expansion of geotourism and its ongoing development have captured the interest of numerous scholars, prompting them to investigate various theoretical dimensions within this emerging field. This paper explores the concept of geotourism products and the importance of comprehensively understanding this topic. A thorough review of the existing literature indicates that different researchers offer diverse definitions and interpretations of geotourism products. However, analysis of relevant publications reveals that these perspectives do not adequately incorporate the fundamental principles of geotourism alongside the well-defined and broadly accepted concept of tourism products in general. To facilitate the accurate analysis of research outcomes and to support the effective advancement of geotourism, this paper advocates for a clear and well-defined understanding of what constitutes a geotourism product.
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MDPI and ACS Style
Štrba, Ľ.; Palgutová, S.B.; Derco, J.; Kršák, B.; Sidor, C.
The Geotourism Product—What It Is and What It Is Not. Geosciences 2025, 15, 270.
https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences15070270
AMA Style
Štrba Ľ, Palgutová SB, Derco J, Kršák B, Sidor C.
The Geotourism Product—What It Is and What It Is Not. Geosciences. 2025; 15(7):270.
https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences15070270
Chicago/Turabian Style
Štrba, Ľubomír, Silvia Bodzáš Palgutová, Ján Derco, Branislav Kršák, and Csaba Sidor.
2025. "The Geotourism Product—What It Is and What It Is Not" Geosciences 15, no. 7: 270.
https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences15070270
APA Style
Štrba, Ľ., Palgutová, S. B., Derco, J., Kršák, B., & Sidor, C.
(2025). The Geotourism Product—What It Is and What It Is Not. Geosciences, 15(7), 270.
https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences15070270
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