Caota Sand Dunes Geopark was established in June 2020 and conserves a landscape of coastal sand dunes at the Taoyuan coastline. This is the first geopark in Taiwan to promote the value of coastal dunes, recognizing their ecological value and their protection function in the face of climate change. This geopark has been actively promoted and attracts many visitors owing to its unique and photogenic landscape. In the initiation phase of a geopark it is significant to get feedback on the planning and services, to evaluate the existing management strategies for future development. Therefore, this study will assess tourist perceptions through visitor comments from Google reviews, to explore how well the core values of the geopark are represented in visitors’ experiences. A qualitative methodology based on review analysis has been used to find themes and patterns. Many reviews point out that washed-up waste is still a huge issue at the Caota dunes and mention that the Geopark development has not been completed. However, there is consensus on the fact that Caota Dunes is a very promising site, and with more planning underway it can become a successful geopark. Future management strategies should address the issues that are pointed out in the reviews for the sustainable development of this scenery post the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Vietnam attracts many tourists owing to its unique and diverse geological landscapes. The Vietnam tourism development strategy until 2030 sets a target to make tourism a more sustainable economic sector, in which the advantages of natural resources and development of a variety of tourism products are promoted. Binh Thuan province in central-south Vietnam, hosts many high potential geosites including Mui Ne Red Dunes. Although this is a popular tourist destination, there is no clear tourism strategy for this site and local communities now regulate tourism in an unsustainable way. Online comments from review databases (TripAdvisor and Google reviews) are analysed to find themes in tourism perceptions after a visit to the Red Sand Dunes. Main themes are found that negatively affect tourist perceptions, such as the extended pollution of the dunes, theft reports and disturbance by jeeps, ATV’s and motorbikes. Many tourists recommend that this site should be better managed. To conserve this area in the future, the development of an all-inclusive local geopark is suggested, based on the tourism perceptions and previous studies assessing this landscape. This strategy is adapted from the UNESCO geopark framework and an example of a recently established local sand dune geopark in Taiwan is discussed. Implementing a local geopark, following the steps described in this study, can be beneficial for sustainable development and local communities in this area, while also promoting environmental education and enhancing disaster risk reduction.
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