Defining the Nature and Purpose of Modern Geotourism with Particular Reference to the United Kingdom and South-East Europe

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of the original United Kingdom development, definition of, and approach to modern geotourism. That approach had geoconservation and geo-interpretation as its key underpinning elements and was incorporated within the initial UNESCO geopark documentation. Since the opening of the twenty-first century, several agencies and authors have adopted a non-geoconservation, indeed sometimes a non-geological approach, to geotourism. Some of these misguided approaches permeate aspects of geotourism provision and management within protected and promoted landscapes such as some national parks and geoparks; thus, it is opportune to reaffirm geotourism's original rationale and approach. This paper necessarily examines and critiques the geotourism concept from its initial definition in the United Kingdom to the development of newer redefinitions and the present plethora of often contradictory and confusing approaches. It provides numerous historical and contemporary examples to underpin the discussion. Several geotourism models have already been developed but the rapid expansion of the geotourism literature indicates the need for their further refinement; hence, a revised geotourism definition together with a revised model is proffered. Finally, it summarises the ongoing impact of the original modern geotourism approach and its future application within Europe.