From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Geotourism is "best practice" tourism that sustains, or even enhances, the geographical character of a place, such as
its culture, environment, heritage, and the well-being of its
residents.
The concept was introduced publicly in a 2002 report by the
Travel Industry Association of America (as of 2009 this
organization adapted name to U.S. Travel Association) and National Geographic
Traveler magazine.[1]
National Geographic senior editor Jonathan B. Tourtellot and his
wife, Sally Bensusen, coined the term in 1997 in response to
requests for a term and concept more encompassing than ecotourism and
sustainable tourism.[2]
Like ecotourism, geotourism promotes a virtuous circle whereby tourism revenues
provide a local incentive to protect what tourists are coming to
see, but extends the principle beyond nature and ecology to incorporate all characteristics that
contribute to sense of place, such as historic structures,
living and traditional culture, landscapes, cuisine, arts and artisanry, as well as local flora and fauna. Geotourism incorporates sustainability
principles, but in addition to the do-no-harm ethic, geotourism
focuses on the place as a whole. The idea of enhancement allows for
development based on character of place, rather than standardized
international branding, and generic architecture, food, and so
on.
The
Geotourism Charter
The National Geographic Society
defines geoturism as tourism that sustains or enhances the
geographical character of a place – its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and
the well-being of its residents.
National Geographic Society has also drawn up a "Geotourism Charter" based on 13
principles:[3]
- Integrity of place: Enhance geographical character by
developing and improving it in ways distinctive to the local,
reflective of its natural and cultural heritage, so as to encourage
market differentiation and cultural pride.
- International codes: Adhere to the principles embodied
in the World Tourism Organization’s Global Code of Ethics for
Tourism and the Principles of the Cultural Tourism Charter
established by the International Council on Monuments and Sites
(ICOMOS).
- Market selectivity: Encourage growth in tourism market
segments most likely to appreciate, respect, and disseminate
information about the distinctive assets of the locale.
- Market diversity: Encourage a full range of
appropriate food and lodging facilities, so as to appeal to the
entire demographic spectrum of the geotourism market and so
maximize economic resiliency over both the short and long
term.
- Tourist satisfaction: Ensure that satisfied, excited
geotourists bring new vacation stories home and send friends off to
experience the same thing, thus providing continuing demand for the
destination.
- Community involvement: Base tourism on community
resources to the extent possible, encouraging local small
businesses and civic groups to build partnerships to promote and
provide a distinctive, honest visitor experience and market their
locales effectively. Help businesses develop approaches to tourism
that build on the area’s nature, history and culture, including
food and drink, artisanry, performance arts, etc.
- Community benefit: Encourage micro- to medium-size
enterprises and tourism business strategies that emphasize economic
and social benefits to involved communities, especially poverty
alleviation, with clear communication of the destination
stewardship policies required to maintain those benefits.
- Protection and enhancement of destination appeal:
Encourage businesses to sustain natural habitats, heritage sites,
aesthetic appeal, and local culture. Prevent degradation by keeping
volumes of tourists within maximum acceptable limits. Seek business
models that can operate profitably within those limits. Use
persuasion, incentives, and legal enforcement as needed.
- Land use: Anticipate development pressures and apply
techniques to prevent undesired overdevelopment and degradation.
Contain resort and vacation-home sprawl, especially on coasts and
islands, so as to retain a diversity of natural and scenic
environments and ensure continued resident access to waterfronts.
Encourage major self-contained tourism attractions, such as
large-scale theme parks and convention centers unrelated to
character of place, to be sited in needier locations with no
significant ecological, scenic, or cultural assets.
- Conservation of resources: Encourage businesses to
minimize water pollution, solid waste, energy consumption, water
usage, landscaping chemicals, and overly bright nighttime lighting.
Advertise these measures in a way that attracts the large,
environmentally sympathetic tourist market.
- Planning: Recognize and respect immediate economic
needs without sacrificing long-term character and the geotourism
potential of the destination. Where tourism attracts in-migration
of workers, develop new communities that themselves constitute a
destination enhancement. Strive to diversify the economy and limit
population influx to sustainable levels. Adopt public strategies
for mitigating practices that are incompatible with geotourism and
damaging to the image of the destination.
- Interactive interpretation: Engage both visitors and
hosts in learning about the place. Encourage residents to show off
the natural and cultural heritage of their communities, so that
tourists gain a richer experience and residents develop pride in
their locales.
- Evaluation: Establish an evaluation process to be
conducted on a regular basis by an independent panel representing
all stakeholder interests, and publicize evaluation results.
See also
References
External
links