Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
A geopark serves to foster socio-economic development that
is culturally and environmentally sustainable. This has a
direct impact on the area involved by improving living
conditions and the rural environment. Geotourism develop-
ment also represents a partnership between government,
local people and private sectors, local businesses, outdoor
companies, tour agencies, restaurants, and accommodation
facilities, among others. This partnership is welcomed
because it makes good economic sense and can bene
there is a need for further research and investigation into the
role of geotourism and geoparks in sustainable development
in Africa.
Since geotourism and geoparks are opportunities for rural
development, they offer prospects for reducing poverty
through engaging local communities in geopark activities. In
line with this, geotourism practitioners and geopark author-
ities have to adopt some positive policies toward stimulating
participation of the local population for local economic
prosperity, poverty alleviation and sustainable development.
This new vision of geotourism and geoparks presents an
opportunity for developing nations, especially in Africa, by
creating, new products related to the geoheritage called geo-
products and geo-menus in local restaurant, new recreational
activities (geo-tours, museums, etc.) and new jobs for local
communities. It is worth mentioning that these recreational
activities that are related to topography and geology, in some
ways, are educational too.
t all
partners (Dowling
2009a
).
Through the creation of Kanawinka Geopark, the
rst
geopark in Australia, a number of local enterprise and small
business have been established, as well as training pro-
grammes and new jobs by generating new sources of reve-
nue, and at the same time, protecting the geo-resources
(Dowling
2009a
). The geopark has also fostered an educa-
tion regime which includes a number of tools and activities
which communicate geoscienti
c knowledge and environ-
mental concepts to the public and the local community.
The Lesvos Petri
ed Forest European Geopark, is another
example that is attracting 90,000 visitors annually and
employing 35 local people directly, and with hundreds of
new jobs having been created indirectly. The geopark is now
the island
References
Ashley C, Mitchell J (2005) Can tourism accelerate pro-poor growth in
Africa? Overseas Development Institute, London
Boley BB (2009) Geotourism in the crown of the continent: developing
and testing the geotourism survey instrument (GSI). Thesis master
of science in recreation management. The University of Montana
Missoula, Missoula
Buckley R (2003) Environmental inputs and outputs in ecotourism;
geotourism with a positive triple line? J Ecotour 2(1):76
-
82
Butler RW (1993) Tourism-an evolutionary perspective. In: Nelson JG,
Butler RW, Wall G (eds) Tourism and sustainable development
monitoring, planning, managing. Department of Geography, Uni-
versity of Waterloo, Waterloo, pp 27
s main visitor attraction and is an excellent
example of how the holistic approach to conservation used
in geoparks can be successful from the perspective of the
local community.
Since geoparks and geotourism are opportunities for rural
development, they reduce the rate of unemployment and
migration through engaging local communities in geopark
activities. Regarding this, geopark authorities have adopted
some positive policies toward stimulating locals
'
participa-
tion for local economic prosperity and preservation of nat-
ural resources (Farsani et al.
2010
).
Debatably, whilst there is a growing amount of research
and understanding on the supply side of geotourism and
geoparks, there is relatively little known about the demand
for these products.
'
43
Coenraads RR, Koivula JI (2007) Geologica. Penguin Group (Austra-
lia), Melbourne
Dowling RK (2009a) The growth of global geotourism. In: de Carvalho
CN, Rodrigues J (eds) New challenges with geotourism. Proceed-
ings of the VIII European geoparks conference Idanha-a-Nova, 4
-
6
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Sept 2009, Portugal
Dowling R (2009b) Geotourism
s contribution to local and regional
development. In: Neto de Carvalho C, Rodrigues J (eds) Geotou-
rism and local development, Idanha-a-Nova, pp 15
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Dowling RK (2010) Geotourism
s emerging global footprint. Interact J
Geogr Teach Assoc Vict 38(2):19
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23
Errami E (2009) Pre-congress meeting of the fth conference of the
African association of women in geosciences entitled
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4
Conclusion
“
women and
211
Errami E, Andrianaivo L, Ennih, N, Gauly M (2012) The
geosciences for peace
”
. Episodes 32(3):210
-
The literature review has shown that the concepts of geo-
tourism and geoparks are relatively new, but presents
essential credentials for poverty alleviation and sustainable
development in developing countries. However, without in-
depth understanding of role that each type of tourism such as
geotourism can play in poverty alleviation and sustainable
tourism development, the efforts of developing
rst
international conference on African and Arabian geoparks
aspir-
ing geoparks in Africa and Arab world. El Jadida, Morocco, 20
—
28
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351
Farsani NT, Coelho C, Costa C (2009) Geotourism as an opportunity
for local communities
Nov 2011. Episodes 35(2):349
-
participation in geoparks. In: de Carvalho
CN, Rodrigues J (eds) New challenges with geotourism. Proceed-
ings of the VIII European geoparks conference Idanha-a-Nova, 4
'
'
tourism in developing countries will be fruitless. Therefore,
'
pro-poor
6
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Sept 2009, Portugal
