Geotourism: A Sustainable Tourism Approach PDF

The twenty-first century has seen significant growth in mass tourism. This growth brings an increased risk of endangering the sites that make a place unique and worth visiting. However, a new kind of tourism approach-geotourism- may offer a solution. Jonathan Tourtellot is founding director of the...

The twenty-first century has seen significant growth in mass tourism. This growth brings an increased risk of endangering the sites that make a place unique and worth visiting. However, a new kind of tourism approach-geotourism- may offer a solution. Jonathan Tourtellot is founding director of the Destination Stewardship Centre. Its mission is to protect and maintain the world\'s distinctive places through wisely managed tourism. Tourtellot is an advocate of the geotourism approach, a term he came up with to describe the core strategy for achieving this goal. He believes that as mass tourism continues to grow and move into places that saw few visitors in the past, geotourism will be a good long-term plan. \"The challenge of managing tourism in a way that protects places instead of overrunning\' them,\" says Tourtellot, \"is simply going to become larger.\" Geotourism is an alternative to mass tourism, which can have harmful effects on local people and on the environment. Many of the systems that support mass tourism-large hotels, chain restaurants, tour companies- are often owned and run by companies based outside the tourist areas. Chain restaurants may not always serve local food. Large tour companies do not always hire local experts and guides, even though these people might have the most insight into the area\'s history and culture. Much of the money made from this type of tourism does not, therefore, benefit the local economy. In addition, with mass tourism, visitors do not usually have much contact with the local people. This limits their understanding of the nature and culture of the places they visit. In contrast, geotourism is like a partnership between travellers and locals. For example, geotravellers stay in hotels owned by local residents who care about protecting the area and the environment. Geotravellers eat in restaurants that serve regional dishes. They buy from local merchants and craftspeople and hire local travel guides. They also try to see traditional music, dance, and theater. As a result, these travellers gain a broader understanding of the area\'s history and culture. Moreover, the money they spend stays in the local community. This helps local people earn a living; it is also necessary in order to protect the area for future travellers. In this way, geotourism benefits both sides of the partnership-the travellers and the locals.