Document Type : Original Article
Author
Faculty of Tourism, Suez Canal university, Egypt
Abstract
Geotourism is a form of tourism that preserves the environment, culture, aesthetics, and heritage while ensuring the well-being of local people. It combines scientific knowledge of geology and geomorphology with tourism infrastructure needs, encompassing landforms, services, accommodations, and various tourism activities. Geotourism takes on various dimensions, including environmental, social, economic, and cultural aspects. The study examines the motivations of geotourists, the world's most important geological sites, their attractiveness criteria, and the definition of a geopark according to UNESCO's definitions. It also reviews the experiences of some countries and their use of geoparks for tourism, as well as their economic and social impacts on the local community. Egypt's geological heritage, such as nature reserves, ancient mines, quarries, hot springs, and religious mountains, is considered a model for geotourism. The study suggests developing a marketing strategy to position Egypt on the geotourism map, focusing on the link between geological tourism, ecotourism, recreational tourism, and beach tourism, particularly in the South Valley region and the Red Sea coast.
Keywords
)
View on SCiNiTO