Economics and Management of Geotourism

This book covers all aspects of the economics and management of geotourism, an increasingly important sector of nature tourism that focuses on the geology and landscape of different territories, providing a pleasurable and educational tourist experience. Geotourism is a sustainable form of tourism that has the potential to deliver significant benefits to host communities. To date, however, geotourism has been examined primarily from the natural sciences perspective, to the detriment of issues related to local social and economic impacts, inter-organizational collaboration, tourist responses, and community participation. This book therefore fills a major gap in the literature. While a key focus is the impacts of geotourism on economic and social development processes and the quality of life of local populations, detailed attention is also devoted to topics such as geopark and geosystem management, innovative and entrepreneurial strategies in geotourism, and territorial marketing. In addition, readers will gain a clear understanding of the extent to which the opportunities and challenges facing geotourism reflect current trends in the tourist industry as a whole. 

Geotourism as promoter of sustainability development: A systematic review and research agenda.- The Estrela UNESCO Global Geopark Territorial Development Strategy: a holistic vision for the 21st Century.- Leveraging landscape: The first four years of UNESCO Global Geopark Odsherred.- Geopark certification as an efficient form of Sustainability Management of a Geotourism Destination.- The management of Arouca Geopark ´s Route of Geosites: a strategic geologically based product in a geotourism destination.- Geotourism and Destination Brand Selection: Does Social Media Matter?.