Geotourism spans a range of visitor interests, from the specialist geotourist to the more general visitor. As well as supporting geoconservation outcomes, it provides economic, cultural, relational and social benefits for both visitors and host communities. The interconnections between geoheritage and the cultural components of the landscape have antecedents in concepts of landscape aesthetics in different cultures. These interconnections provide a range of opportunities for enhancing the geotourist experience and promoting geoconservation and geoeducation by means of activities that involve aesthetic and emotional experiences and interpretation through different cultural filters that encourage the rediscovery of a sense of wonder both about the geological stories in the landscape and the human interactions. A cultural ecosystem services framework provides a holistic approach for informing conservation policy, management and planning for geotourism, enabling assessment of multiple benefits and trade-offs for visitors and communities based on the values of the geoheritage assets. Geotourism studies could also benefit from integration of existing theory, conceptual analysis and practice from broader heritage and nature-based tourism and closer collaboration with relevant social sciences. Adhering to sound geoethical practice is an essential part of geotourism, which can also play a role in the promotion of geoethics among the public and professionals.

Geoheritage, Geotourism and the Cultural Landscape: Enhancing the Visitor Experience and Promoting Geoconservation

The COVID-19 pandemic led to many European countries imposing lockdown measures and limiting people’s movement during spring 2020. During the summer 2020, these strict lockdown measures were gradually lifted while in autumn 2020, local restrictions started to be re-introduced as a second wave emerged. After initial restrictions on visitors accessing many Nature Protected Areas (PAs) in Europe, management authorities have had to introduce measures so that all users can safely visit these protected landscapes. In this paper, we examine the challenges that emerged due to COVID-19 for PAs and their deeper causes. By considering the impact on and response of 14 popular European National and Nature Parks, we propose tentative longer-term solutions going beyond the current short-term measures that have been implemented. The most important challenges identified in our study were overcrowding, a new profile of visitors, problematic behavior, and conflicts between different user groups. A number of new measures have been introduced to tackle these challenges including information campaigns, traffic management, and establishing one-way systems on trail paths. However, measures to safeguard public health are often in conflict with other PA management measures aiming to minimize disturbance of wildlife and ecosystems. We highlight three areas in which management of PAs can learn from the experience of this pandemic: managing visitor numbers in order to avoid overcrowding through careful spatial planning, introducing educational campaigns, particularly targeting a new profile of visitors, and promoting sustainable tourism models, which do not rely on large visitor numbers.

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The Impact of COVID-19 on the Management of European Protected Areas and Policy Implications

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a global impact on the tourism sector. With tourism numbers dramatically reduced, millions of jobs could be lost, and progress made in equality and sustainable economic growth could be rolled back. Widespread reports of dramatic changes to protected and conserved1 area visitation have negative consequences for conservation finances, tourism businesses and the livelihoods of people who supply labour, goods and services to tourists and tourism businesses. This paper aims to share experiences from around the world on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on protected area tourism; and considers how to build resilience within protected area tourism as a regenerative conservation tool.

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Tourism in protected and conserved areas amid the covid-19 pandemic

Acknowledgement by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) that geodiversity is part of natural diversity and geoheritage is part of natural heritage should help to strengthen the position and delivery of geoconservation through engagement with the wider nature conservation agenda. In particular, we identify six key areas offering opportunities to enhance the standing and mainstreaming of geoconservation: (1) integrating geoconservation principles in protected area management, including the promotion of geoheritage conservation across the full range of IUCN Protected Area Management Categories; (2) supporting biodiversity conservation and adaptation to climate change through the nature-based solutions approach and ‘conserving nature’s stage’; (3) contributing to natural capital and ecosystem services valuation; (4) contributing to conservation in the marine environment; (5) enhancing the connections between people, place, and nature and contributing to human well-being; and (6) promoting ecosystem stewardship and contributing to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Adoption of a more outward-looking approach should help to progress the integration of geoconservation within nature conservation, protected area planning and management, and broader environmental strategies and policies.

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Enhancing the Role of Geoconservation in Protected Area Management and Nature Conservation

There are legal, political, economic, social, and environmental links between tourism and World Heritage Areas, some straightforward but others controversial. These are examined here as aspects of a long-term, stable, but complicated, relationship. Management of small-scale mobile tourism operations is well established. It includes activities, equipment, timing, numbers, group size, marketing, fees, and permit latency. Management of large-scale fixed-site tourism infrastructure and accommodation involving private equity or operational control is more controversial. It includes legal structure of partnership arrangements, and allocation of revenues, costs, and risks. The relationship framework shows the importance of picking partners carefully and establishing mechanisms for external counseling. Research opportunities include: the marketing value of World Heritage Area (WHA) controversies; the tourism effects of In Danger declarations; funding models; and impact assessment, stakeholder roles, and co-manage...

Tourism and Natural World Heritage: A Complicated Relationship:

Tourism and visitor management in protected areas : guidelines for sustainability

Protected areas are a key component of any global conservation strategy. Tourism provides a crucial and unique way of fostering visitors’ connection with protected area values, making it a potentially positive force for  conservation. Protected area tourism’s economic benefits—which depend on beautiful natural areas, healthy wildlife and nature, and authentic cultures—can also be a powerful argument for conservation. Tourism in protected areas  is a major part of the global tourism industry—an industry whose scale and impacts are enormous. Such a high volume of visitors implies certain needs for fundamental infrastructure and requirements for employment and human services, all of which have ramifications for the economy, society, culture and the environment. These Guidelines provide guidance on key issues to help managers achieve sustainable tourism in protected areas.

Tourism and visitor management in protected areas

As areas protegidas sao um componente essencial de qualquer estrategia de conservacao global. O turismo oferece uma maneira crucial e unica de promover a conexao dos visitantes com os valores das areas protegidas, tornando-se uma forca potencialmente positiva para a conservacao. Os beneficios economicos do turismo em areas protegidas - que dependem de belas areas naturais, vida selvagem e natureza saudaveis e culturas autenticas - tambem podem ser um argumento poderoso para a conservacao. O turismo em areas protegidas e uma parte importante da industria global de turismo - uma industria cuja escala e impactos sao enormes. Um volume tao alto de visitantes implica certas necessidades de infraestrutura fundamental e requisitos de emprego e servicos humanos, todos com ramificacoes para a economia, sociedade, cultura e meio ambiente. Essas diretrizes fornecem orientacoes sobre questoes-chave para ajudar os gestores a alcancar um turismo sustentavel em areas protegidas.

Turismo e gestão da visitação em áreas protegidas

Les aires protegees sont une composante essentielle de toute strategie mondiale en faveur de la conservation. Le tourisme offre une facon unique et cruciale d’encourager la connexion des visiteurs avec les valeurs associees aux aires protegees, ce qui en fait une force potentiellement positive pour la conservation. Les avantages economiques du tourisme dans les aires protegees - lequel depend d’aires naturelles splendides, d’une vie sauvage et d’une nature en bonne sante et de cultures authentiques - peuvent egalement etre un argument de poids en faveur de la conservation. Le tourisme dans les aires protegees est une partie essentielle de l’industrie touristique globale - une industrie dont l’echelle et les impacts sont enormes. Un tel volume de visiteurs implique certains besoins en infrastructures de base et des exigences d’emplois et de services, lesquels ont des ramifications pour l’economie, la societe, la culture et l’environnement. Ces Lignes directrices offrent des orientations sur les principales problematiques afin d’aider les responsables a mettre en place un tourisme durable dans les aires protegees - approprie, bien gere et qui contribue aux objectifs de conservation.

Craig Groves

Papers

Tourism and visitor management in protected areas : guidelines for sustainability

Tourism and visitor management in protected areas

Turismo e gestão da visitação em áreas protegidas

Gestion du tourisme et des visiteurs dans les aires protégées