Geotourism and Geoparks: Africa’s Current Prospects for Sustainable Rural Development and Poverty Alleviation - From Geoheritage to Geoparks - page 23

Geotourism and Geoparks: Africa s Current

Prospects for Sustainable Rural Development
and Poverty Alleviation

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Géotourisme et géoparcs: perspectives
contemporaines pour le développement rural
durable et la réduction de la pauvreté en
Afrique

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Percy Mabvuto Ngwira

Abstract
Geotourism is a relatively new type of tourism with signi cant growth potential. Initially

de ned in Europe, USA and Australia, it is an international developing academic, economic

and sustainable rural development investigation eld. The term geotourism has been in use

since the early 1990s, although its precursor activities can be traced back to the 17th century.
Bene ting from its signi cant social, historical and industrial archaeological underpinnings,

the concept nement. This paper explores current

literature on geotourism and geoparks in relation to sustainable development in Africa.
Furthermore, it explores current literature on the direct and indirect sustainable development
impacts from geotourism and geoparks, and their implications on social, environmental and
economic development on rural communities. The literature has shown that these concepts,
relatively new in Africa, present essential credentials for poverty alleviation and sustainable
rural development on the continent.

is still undergoing rede nition and re

Résumé
Le g é otourisme est un type de tourisme relativement nouveau avec un potentiel de croissance

signi catif. Initialement d é velopp é et d é ni en Europe, aux Etats-Unis d ' Am é rique et en

Australie, c ' est un domaine de recherche, acad é mique, é conomique, et de d é veloppement rural

durable, en d é veloppement. Le terme g é otourisme est utilis é depuis le d é but des ann é es 1990,

curseurs remontent au 17 è me si bien que ses activit é spr é è cle. B é n é ciant de ses fondements

é

sociaux, historiques et arch ologiques industriels signi catifs, ce concept est encore en cours

de red é nition. Cet article explore la litt é rature actuelle sur le g é otourisme et les g é oparcs et

leurs impacts sur le d é veloppement social, environnemental et é conomique des communaut é s

rurales. Il montre que ces concepts, relativement nouveaux en Afrique, pr é senteraient des

atouts essentiels pour le d é veloppement rural durable et la r é duction de la pauvret é sur le

continent.