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Geotourism: The Tourism of Geology and Landscape

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A special issue of Tourism and Hospitality (ISSN 2673-5768).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 March 2024) | Viewed by 9027

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Ross Dowling

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Business and Law, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
Interests: geotourism and geoparks development, sustainability, impacts and opportunities; cruise ship tourism development, growth and industry impacts; ecotourism planning, development, management and impacts; regional tourism planning and development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Carlos Neto De Carvalho

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor

1. Naturtejo UNESCO Global Geopark, Geology Office of the Municipality of Idanha-a-Nova, 6060-101 Idanha a Nova, Portugal
2. IDL-Instituto D. Luiz, University of Lisbon, 1649-013 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: geotourism; geoparks; geoscience communication; landscape interpretation; geological heritage conservation and management; climate change and tourism; inclusive tourism; product development and branding; tourism marketing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to the Special Issue “Geotourism: The Tourism of Geology and Landscape”. Landscapes are a complex and dynamic composition that goes well beyond visual perception, with an extensive inheritance from geodiversity and how rocks have been shaped by external geological agents for millions of years. There is a growing number of tourists travelling around the world, experiencing first-hand novel approaches for understanding landscapes. Additionally, when landscape highlights become geological phenomena, there is an opportunity for the development of geotourism destinations and products.

Based on premises of social responsibility, favoring the role of local communities and environmental sustainability, preserving geological heritage for future generations, geotourism is the organization of tourism activity based on geological landscapes. This innovative type of tourism is growing all over the world, especially with the development of the UNESCO Global Geoparks initiative over the last 20 years. The impacts of geotourism strategies at different latitudes, and how they can be used as examples for the tourism industry, need to be discussed in a global framework, with the understanding that human activities pay a heavy price in climate change, the exploitation of natural resources and cultural homogenization.

This Special Issue aims to contribute to a broader discussion regarding benefits and adverse impacts created by establishing tourism in geological settings. Starting from how to reach visitors in outdoor activities with exciting news about our dynamic Earth, and ending with how to tell stories about the landscape and rocks in ways that empower local communities and promote beneficial outcomes. A central element is through the development of community-centered tourism activities and products focused on geological heritage. Another avenue of research is how to market geotourism destinations through the development of quality labels and standards. Equally as important is how geotourism can support local economies and cultural diversity. Other aspects to explore include improving the circular economy, networking, social and economic sustainability, the strengthening of community resilience to natural hazards, contributing to the reduction in tourism environmental impacts and adapting to climate change. We especially wish for contributors to explore how geotourism can help to develop a stronger tourism industry, more sustainable businesses and destinations, environmentally friendly products and be accessible for all. Experiencing the landscape for itself, from a local perspective, and bringing benefits for the locals.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

Innovative geotourism products and/or destinations;
Geotourism development in geoparks;
The economic sustainability of geotourism projects;
Outdoor geoscience communication and interpretation;
Landscape dynamic interpretation;
Geological heritage conservation and management for tourism use;
Climate change and geotourism;
Inclusive tourism adapted to geosites;
Geodiversity product-based development and branding;
Marketing geotourism;
The definition of geotourists.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Ross Dowling
Carlos Neto De Carvalho
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Tourism and Hospitality is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

geotourism
geoparks
geoscience communication
landscape interpretation
geological heritage conservation and management
climate change and tourism
inclusive tourism
product development and branding
tourism marketing

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 5353 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Understanding the Determinants of Geologically Responsible Behaviour among Geotourists: A Multi-Destination Analysis

by Gloria Rui Gou, Wei Fang, Lewis T. O. Cheung, Lincoln Fok, Alice S. Y. Chow and Ke Zhang

Tour. Hosp. 2024, 5(1), 1-15; https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp5010001 - 05 Jan 2024

Viewed by 713

Abstract

This study explores the drivers of geologically responsible behaviour among geotourists in three geoparks in the Greater China region: Danxiashan UNESCO Global Geopark in southern China, Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark, and Yehliu Geopark in northern Taiwan. On-site questionnaire surveys were conducted, collecting over 800 respondents in these geoparks, and structural equation modelling was applied for our analysis. The findings reveal that geologically responsible behaviour is positively associated with environmentally responsible attitudes, in line with some previous research. Notably, place attachment and visitor satisfaction were not directly related to geologically responsible behaviour but were positively correlated with environmentally responsible attitudes. This suggests that emotional connections to geoparks and visitor satisfaction indirectly nurture environmentally responsible attitudes, subsequently leading to geologically responsible behaviour. These results offer practical implications for geopark management practices. Providing informative guided tours and quality informational materials can enhance visitors’ geological knowledge and foster environmentally responsible attitudes. The improvement of the visitor experience, combined with the dissemination of accurate environmental knowledge and conservation messaging, can enhance visitor satisfaction, deepen attachment to geoparks, and, ultimately, encourage more geologically responsible behaviours. Understanding these relationships can assist geotourism destinations in promoting geological resources’ conservation while enhancing the visitor experience. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geotourism: The Tourism of Geology and Landscape)

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16 pages, 78829 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of Geoheritage and Geotourism Potential of the Fluvial-Glacial Landscapes in the Culebrillas Lagoon (Ecuador)

by José Luis Sánchez-Cortez, Kathleen Vélez-Macías, Vinicio Macas-Espinosa and Clelia Naranjo-Freire

Tour. Hosp. 2023, 4(3), 419-434; https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp4030026 - 24 Jul 2023

Viewed by 995

Abstract

Geotourism is a concept that is expanding rapidly throughout the world without exception, given its versatility to value the elements of geodiversity and geoheritage; landscape elements without an apparent use or benefit usually find in geotourism a window that can exploit unsuspected conditions. Culebrillas Lagoon, located in the southern center of the Ecuadorian Andes, represents a hydrographic unit of glacio–lacustrine origin as a typical hidden place that conceals a valuable geotourism potential. Culebrillas is marked by a series of fluvio–glacial morphologies, whose forms hide an important cultural heritage expressed in its festivities, myths, and legends which have been celebrated through the centuries. Inca and Cañari civilizations have been, in the past and present, the original groups that inhabited this sector, and important vestiges of their presence are still evident, as in the case of the Qhapaq Ñan or the Inca road system. The present investigation allowed the generating of information about elements of geoheritage and other related resources that have various potential uses, and which highlight the intrinsic values present in this area, complementing each other from a holistic socio–environmental and geotourism perspective. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geotourism: The Tourism of Geology and Landscape)

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15 pages, 22185 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Inclusive Tourism Adopted to Geosites: A Study in the Ajodhya Hills of West Bengal in India

by Avijit Ghosh, Rahul Mandal and Premangshu Chakrabarty

Tour. Hosp. 2023, 4(2), 321-335; https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp4020020 - 18 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1870

Abstract

Inclusive tourism is a specialized branch of tourism emphasizing the inclusion of the disabled, who otherwise could not participate in tourism, despite having wealth to spend for leisure and recreation. There exists a research gap in analyzing scope of geotourism in this context. Disabilities affecting access to geosites affect geotourism since most of the geosites all over the world are situated in difficult terrain from the stand point of accessibility. It is inclusive tourism, also called accessible tourism, that facilities the consumers to reach the desired destinations. The present study assesses such destinations in Ajodhya hills, located in West Bengal, India, a geotourist’s paradise in terms of rarity and diversity, aesthetic appeal, and cultural value. The study derives an accessibility–attraction model to identify inclusive tourism planning priorities from tourism marketing perspectives. Extensive field work followed by the application of qualitative methods of data analysis yield results dedicated to sustainable geotourism development. The discussion reveals the scope of developing specific facilities, using GIS, which encourage physically challenged people to visit geosites and simultaneously fulfil the objective of guiding planners and policy makers to identify and develop more suitable sites for introducing inclusive tourism facilities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geotourism: The Tourism of Geology and Landscape)

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12 pages, 60345 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Geoheritage Threats in South African National Parks

by Khodani Matshusa and Llewellyn Leonard

Tour. Hosp. 2023, 4(1), 202-213; https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp4010012 - 17 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1615

Abstract

The uniqueness and potential of South African geoheritage to contribute to sustainable development is undoubtedly unmatched. However, little is known about the geoheritage threats in South Africa because geoheritage research is geographically skewed to the global North, while little focus is given to the global South. This study characterises the geoheritage threats in South Africa through a qualitative method design. This involved qualitative semi-structured interviews with 16 key informants (from the South African National Parks, national government, local communities as well tour operators, and tourism agencies). Consequently, qualitative content analysis was performed to outline geoheritage threats in South African national parks. The study concludes that the construct of geoheritage threats consists of human- and nature-induced threats. The identified human-induced geoheritage threats include mining, damage to heritage, and loss of biodiversity due to overcrowding. Furthermore, results showed that incorrect management of geoheritage has the potential to cause community conflicts, which can lead to a decrease in tourists visiting the destination. The identified nature-induced geoheritage threats are climate change, floods, and fires. These results suggest the need for the immediate protection of geoheritage sites within and outside protected area in South Africa. Thus, it is necessary to develop protection strategies to conserve South African geoheritage for current and future generations that involve protection areas managers, local communities, government departments and agencies, and academia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geotourism: The Tourism of Geology and Landscape)

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Review

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25 pages, 1338 KiB

Open AccessReview

Climate Change and Geotourism: Impacts, Challenges, and Opportunities

by John E. Gordon

Tour. Hosp. 2023, 4(4), 514-538; https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp4040032 - 29 Sep 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2156

Abstract

Climate change and rising sea levels present significant challenges for geotourism destinations and activities. Accelerated changes in geomorphological processes threaten or diminish both the physical existence and aesthetic qualities of geoheritage assets, and hence the visitor experience, as well as presenting increased or new risks from natural hazards. This is particularly a concern in mountain and coastal areas, and also where greater extremes of temperature and precipitation affect visitor comfort. A literature review was conducted to assess the extent to which the consequences of climate change have been recognised in geotourism research. With the exception of glacier-based geotourism, few studies have considered the impacts of climate change and reported the planning or development of adaptation measures. However, the didactic potential of geotourism in raising awareness of climate change has been commonly recognised. A review of the wider tourism literature identified additional destination-supply and visitor-demand issues that will affect the sustainability of geotourism in the face of climate change. These include changes in visitor motivations, travel behaviour, perceptions of destination image, and reactions to local, national, and international mitigation and adaptation responses, as well as geoethical considerations around carbon footprints and sustainable modes of travel. Situating geotourism within a broader body of multidisciplinary tourism research should help inform adaptation strategies in conjunction with measures to adapt to the physical impacts of climate change on geotourism sites. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geotourism: The Tourism of Geology and Landscape)

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