Geotourism is essentially 'geological tourism'. The geological element focuses on geology and landscape and includes both 'form', such as landforms, rock outcrops, rock types, sediments, soils and crystals, and 'process', such as volcanism, erosion, glaciation etc. The tourism element of geotourism includes tourists visiting, learning from, appreciating and engaging in geosites. Geotourism is an integral part of UNESCO's geoparks and is essential to their development. Geotourism adds to ecotourism's principal focus on plants (flora) and animals (fauna) by adding a third dimension of the abiotic environment. Thus it is growing around the world through the growth of geoparks as well as independently in many natural and urban areas where tourism's focus in on the geological environment.
Geotourism is a new form of tourism based on the geological environment. Whilst ecotourism and biodiversity have been described in the academic literature for over thirty years, geotourism and its attendant concepts of geoheritage, geodiversity, geoconservation, and geotours , is relatively new. Geotourism is defined as tourism which focuses on an area's geology and landscape as the basis of fostering sustainable tourism development. it begins with an understanding of the Abiotic (non-living) environment, to build greater awareness of the Biotic (living) environment of plants and animals as well as the cultural environment of people, past and present. it is argued that geotourism offers a new form of sustainable tourism which is more holistic than previous niche forms of tourism.
Generic factors influencing the development and marketing of wine tourism, both in destinations and at wineries, are examined. Results of surveys of wine and tourism industry professionals in Australia and in Washington State, USA, are presented, enabling identification of critical success factors. These are grouped as quality (of wine, service and experiences), wine country appeal, winery appeal, and developmental and marketing factors. Agreement on certain critical success factors did emerge, with quality considered to be the most important success factor, but some significant differences existed between respondents from the two countries examined. Recommendations for ongoing research on wine tourism are made.
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