This document discusses geotourism as a sustainable form of tourism. It provides 12 principles of geotourism that emphasize protecting a destination's geographical character, encouraging community involvement and benefit, and promoting conservation. Examples are given of places that have adopted geotourism strategies to increase tourism appeal and benefits while protecting natural and cultural assets. A geotourism strategy framework is outlined around identifying, developing and sustaining destinations based on their unique geographical character.
3. From eco- to geo- tourism pays to
protect … not
destroy
Sightseeing
Cultural
tourism
Local
ECOTOURISM: cuisine
nature
Heritage
tourism Agri-
tourism
Indigenous
tourism
Center for
Sustainable Destinations
4. 70% 40 %
27M
Center for
Sustainable Destinations
5. SEGMENT SIZE
Percent of the 13.6 million
U.S. adults who traveled
Urban
internationally
Sophisticates
3+ times in the
past 3 years
Geo-Savvys
21%
Good Citizens
17%
Traditionals
6%
Self-Indulgents
14
%
Wishful
Outdoor Sportsmen Apathetics Thinkers
3% 6% Center for
Sustainable Destinations
7. DESTINATION STYLE DRIFT . . .
if development unchecked, unguided
Tourin Entertain
g R &R -
ment
Unspoiled SPOILED ?
destination
Center for
Sustainable Destinations
22. Geotourism Principle 8
Promote destination appeal
Protect natural habitats, heritage sites,
aesthetics, culture; avoid overcrowding
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Sustainable Destinations
23. Geotourism Principle 8
• Sustain heritage sites
and local culture
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Sustainable Destinations
24. Geotourism Principle 8
Sustain heritage sites and local culture
Center for
Sustainable Destinations
25. Geotourism Principle 9
Land use:
Avoid sprawling, excessive development; contain high-
density in clusters; provide affordable housing
Center for
Sustainable Destinations
26. Geotourism Principle 10
Conservation of resources
Promote environmental management plans for
energy, pollution, lighting, etc.
Center for
Sustainable Destinations
27. Geotourism Principle
10
• Conservation of resources
Promote environmental management plans
for energy, pollution, lighting, etc.
Center for
Sustainable Destinations
29. urism Principle 12
ive interpretation: Engage both visitors
ts in learning about the place
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Sustainable Destinations
30. Geotourism Principle 12
• Interactive interpretation
Engage both visitors & hosts in local learning
Center for
Sustainable Destinations
31. Tourism interests Residents
(differentiation) (pride and
benefits)
THE
PLACE
Tourists Politicians
(enthusiasm) (the usual)
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Sustainable Destinations
32. The Circle
Broken Leakage; irresponsible
business practices
Place-based
tourism Community
benefit
Benefits
too
Obstacles selective,
to or not
Motive to apparent
protection protect
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Sustainable Destinations
33. Geotouris
m Virtuous
Circle
Place-based
tourism Community
benefit
Motive to
protect
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Sustainable Destinations
34. How
Challenges
1. Overuse = abuse
2. Negative perception
3. Economic challenges
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Sustainable Destinations
35. With geotourism
Get on the Map!
1. Spread visitors out
2. Positive curiosity
3. 90 of 100 business
increased $$$
Center for
Sustainable Destinations
37. Hardwick. VT With geotourism
1. ‘Look in’ to Value
2. Co-op marketing
3. Expanded Profit
Center for
Sustainable Destinations
38. Embassy Suites, South Lake Tahoe
Increase Appeal, Save Money, Benefit community and
watershed
•$200,000 investment
•ROI = 7 months
•$350,000 operational savings year 1
•LED’s, ozone laundry, energy monitoring > energy 30% fuel 50%
•Compost + recycle > $5,200 month
•Increase shoulder season occupancy
•$100K piece of business from ‘compostable straw’
Center for
Sustainable Destinations
39. Honduras
First country to make
geotourism its national tourism
strategy.
Center for
Geotourism Charter signed
Sustainable Destinations
52. Promote
The geotourism story
Enhance sense of place
•Stewardship
• private enterprise
• conservation / preservation
• civic participation
Center for
Sustainable Destinations
53. Sustain
Protect the tourism product
The place !
Center for
Sustainable Destinations
Everyplace has its unique characteristics and attractions, and then some places are just so special and majestic they call out to you and you connect back transform our thoughts, feelings and lives. Tahoe this National Treasure we are fortunate enough to call home is one of those special sacred places.
NG famous for taking us deep into remote and famous places while fueling our appetite for adventure. places we wouldn’t might never know about, and inspiring us to travel to places we wouldn’t have thought of
geotourism includes all types of tourism that connect a visitor to the ENTIRE destination
· 70% of travelers believe people must live in harmony with nature in order to survive · 40% would do more for the environment if they knew specific actions to take · 27.7 million travelers (18%) would pay a premium to visit sites that control the number of people entering.
Of those who travel internationally—an even bigger portion of the pie.
Each type of tourism provides a different relationship to the place.
When tourism development is unmanaged, unguided, the market forces change the character until it eventually loses many qualities that attracted people in the first place. The “unspoiled” place becomes spoiled.
… Touring especially close the land, culture, heritage or local color provide the highest touch experience with the lowest impact Scotland in winter. (Touring style offers opportunities for off-season tourism.)
R and R tourism depends on lakes, beaches, but NOT on human character of a place; encourages resort sprawl and can change the face of the earth, particularly as resorts and vacation homes spread along seacoasts and eat up the physical beauty.
Entertainment based tourism does not depend on character of place. This type of tourism is often heavy-duty, industrial scale--major employment centers, with major environmental and cultural impacts. It is self-focused. You can do this type of tourism anywhere, even the middle of a desert. One of the best known examples IS in a desert . . Las Vegas. Sprawl consumes other geotourism assets—environment, scenery, traditional communities.
Nat Geo’s Center for Sustainable Destinations designed a set of principals and guidelines to wisely manage tourism and enlightened stewardship. This sustainable criteria was used to evaluate and score the top 115 destinations of the world which resulted in the scorecard.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium specializes in the sea life of its own, mid-California coast, presenting it to residents and tourists alike and helping prompt the creation of a marine reserve…
A great storyteller can hold tourists rapt even while cleaning a fish, as in this private museum of outport traditions in Newfoundland.
5. Tourist satisfaction: From the visitors perspective…how well do you Ensure that satisfied and excited tourists bring new vacation stories home that will inspire others - providing continuing demand for the destination. The Water Trail gets people on the lake for a magical day
6. Community involvement: From the visitors perspective…how well do you Base tourism on community resources to promote and provide a distinctive, honest visitor experience and market their locales effectively. Trails and Vistas takes visitors on an hour walk through the Public Lands where they encounter creative singing, dancing, art and music along the way, while learning about the value of public land trust. It has become so popular, it books out months ahead of the Sept weekend.
… but is actually a brand new home-and-hotel resort in St Martin, using what the French developers calls “gentle architecture.” At the time of this picture all these buildings were less than 10 years old. A covenant and good sense prevented concrete high-rises at this beachside location.
7 Community benefit: From the visitors perspective…how well do you Encourage tourism business strategies that emphasize economic and social benefits including stewardship required to maintain those benefits. Farm Day in El Dorado helps 3 rd graders learn the value of farming and build a relationship with the land. These kids know where their food comes from
8. Protection and enhancement of destination appeal: From the visitors perspective…how well do you Encourage businesses to sustain natural habitats, heritage sites, aesthetic appeal, and local culture to prevent degradation by keeping volumes of tourists within maximum acceptable limits.
8. Protection and enhancement of destination appeal: From the visitors perspective…how well do you Encourage businesses to sustain natural habitats, heritage sites, aesthetic appeal, and local culture to prevent degradation by keeping volumes of tourists within maximum acceptable limits.
… and what’s more, repurposes one of the old canneries on John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row, helping protect a piece of history.
When people get involved in explaining nature or history, they get more interested in taking care of it, as here in Samoa.
Art George, a Datohmu (Spiritual Leader) and Allen Garcia – are both of the Washo people There are 4 indigenous native Americans in El Dorado: Washo, Miwok,…
The unifying factor for geotourism is the place! If you highlight your differentiation, visitors go home enthusiastic with a unique story, residents benefit, leaders follow.
The circle may not work if conditions interfere with any one of the beneficial impacts.
The idea is that well-informed tourism that benefits local communities creates an incentive to protect what tourists are coming to see. The tough part is to make sure each one of these cause-and-effect arrows actually works.
PROOF: Appalachia 1500 mile Mtn range: 13 states, 74 devel districts, each w/ favorite Mtn Range, Park or Site suffering from overuse & negative perception of rural areas. They used geotourism to identify what united them across 13 states , what they were proud of that highlighted uniqueness. Spread visitor traffic out Changed negative perception to positive and curious Created new business opportunities Renewed sense of community pride Our Federal Co-Chair, Ann Pope, pointed out how this process was the beginning of re-branding Appalachia . John C said, “We’ve done 2 maps and looking forward to a third. These maps have 3 year shelf life. The quality and brand National Geographic brings…even longer. Plus you get showcased in the magazine.’ John Cartwright 202 884-7709 ARC Development Director
Uncovered assets common to the locals, held fascination for visitors – once they were on the map! Crooked Road in Virginia: June Carter family country music recordings in 1920. Ralph Stanley, a local performer, donated memorabilia and Crooked Road is now a top 10 Place You Should Take Kids . Coon Dog Cemetery in rural Alabama, where locals honored dogs with huge monuments, brought visitors into a previous un-discovered area, increasing economy. Today they have an annual music festival Hallelujah Trail, driving tour to country churches, harnessed energy in counties visitors had not previously known about, while enhancing local economies. R ESULT: 90 of 100 businesses surveyed reported an increase in business from the Map
PROOF: The Northeast Kingdom of Vermont had a CHALLENGE marketing uniqueness to sustain and enhance local well being. 50 towns, 3 counties and 2 cities, 9 chambers and 150 businesses located in rural, recreation and retreat environment. 3-4 yrs ago promotion was ‘ looking out’ to stay competitive. Dairy farms losing $92K a yr - couldn’t compete with corporate farming. At first…star struck by NG, started a deliberate amplification of message. Table to table buzz awakened real value: exploring what is important to us. They asked each other: What do you love about my home? W hat do you care about and want my children to be able to experience? What one thing you can do to move in this sustainable direction?
RESULT They now ‘look in’ based on values: If they love it… visitors love it! Their economy is now built on honoring heritage and identity (rural farming, landscapes, primitive skills). People care more about their home, community, deliberate sustainable growth. Competitive is now cooperative. Local Ski Resorts put local farm food on their menu, w/ farm photos on the walls. Farm to the Table initiative gave Jay Peak a differentiator and rural farms a future. A Sheep farmer who clips, cleans, and dyes her own wool, enrolls visitors to help with chores! Artisan Cheese making workshop sold out on the first day! Fiber weaving courses and Primitive skills use tourism to the benefit of visitor and community well being. This journey is not a race, less about marketing and more about employing tourism as a way to grow your economy and protect what you value. The Map was not the end. This is now part of our schools, community and planning at the local, regional and state level. Gloria Bruce 802 626-8511 [email_address]
Programs already in place with dedication and stakeholders on the ground have a strategy and plan to move forward
Still working
South Pacific and near Peru through French Polynesia and they took this approach on their own initiative and are sustainable. As of March 07, likely additions are Rhode Island signed last spring, and Guatemala signed with the president of Guatemaela.
This project involved three funding partners and two program partners.
Sonora is a state in Mexico and they did a trans border project. You don’t have to sign a charter. They produced a map guide – a collaborative process that nominates places in their region and a map is produced to drive traffic to small and sustainable locations
In February 2007, a new transborder Geotourism project began at Waterton-Glacier and the surrounding region, known as “the Crown of the Continent,” in partnership with national and local NGOs. BOAT RIDE STORY – how I got here
Royal attention can help.
Materials disseminated by Norway with NGS sign-off.
Destinations can pursue the four tracks of a geotourism strategy--- ongoing, using the principles as they apply in the Charter.
The key message for audiences with their minds on only promotion or development.