Deconstructing the ‘Crown of the Continent’: Power, Politics and the Process of Creating National Geographic's Geotourism Mapguides

Bosak, Keith; Boley, B. Bynum; Zaret, Kyla

doi:10.1080/14616688.2010.494686

Cited by 28 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…According to this definition, geotourism is a branch of sustainable tourism, which instead of focusing on minimizing impact on the ecological environment seeks to preserve all natural and human attributes which render a given location distinct from others. Subsequently, in collaboration with local organizations, National Geographic published Geotourism MapGuides, which present over twenty tourism destinations worldwide and seek to inform visitors concerning the more sustainable choices provided in each area, thereby helping to enhance the region's geographical character and contributing to the well-being of local people [9,10]. Boley and Nickerson [11] argue that these National Geographic publications significantly contributed to the popularization of geotourism as a sustainable tourism development strategy.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geotourism: A Systematic Literature Review

2018

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Geotourism is one of the newest concepts within tourism studies today. The popularity of geotourism has likewise grown rapidly over the past few decades. This rapidly growing popularity and the growing body of research on geotourism create the need for a comprehensive review of existing literature on the subject. The present study aims to systematically review scientific literature on geotourism published over the past two decades by identifying what knowledge has been produced on geotourism in the scientific literature and by analyzing the evolving research trends in geotourism during the same time period. The results reveal that researchers are placing an increasing focus on geotourism. A geographical analysis of the study areas indicates a true global distribution, encompassing studies of 53 countries altogether. Most of the research focusses on identifying, describing, and assessing the geoheritage of the areas in question together with their geotourism potential. The volume of research on these topics is growing at a rapid pace. Other common research topics as regards geotourism include management of geotourism and geoheritage, new geosite/geomorphosite assessment models, together with other methodological approaches. The results further indicate that researchers are less interested in geotourism stakeholders such as tourists and local communities, and that only a very small number of studies examine geotourism in the context of sustainable development. The vast majority of the studies utilize empirical data as the basis of the research or for the testing of proposed models and methodology. The present review identifies a need for a larger body of empirical research focusing on (i) sustainability of geotourism, including actual impacts of geotourism on the geoheritage and on the ecosystems of geotourism areas, (ii) knowledge on effective management of the main challenges of geotourism, as well as (iii) on stakeholders and their complex interrelations, including the effects of geotourism on local communities and their well-being.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geotourism: A Systematic Literature Review

2018

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“…Like in geological geotourism accounts, landscapes are mostly referred to in terms of tangible features and physical assets first. However, geographical geotourism accounts are also comparable to tourism-centred approaches in the sense that references to the uniqueness of the destination also include more intangible connotations and valuations (Bosak et al, 2010;Farsani et al, 2011). Moreover, landscapes are partly seen as non-neutral entities as they contain and reflect the identity of the region and its inhabitants.…”

Section: Landscape Interpretations and Tourism Foci In Geotourismmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(Dowling & Newsome, 2006;Dowling, 2011;Hose, 2012;Newsome et al, 2012). In contrast, the geographical approach sees tourism as a broad and global phenomenon in which an array of products and experiences that relate to the identity of the destination are incorporated (Bosak et al, 2010;Stueve et al, 2002). …”

Section: Landscape Interpretations and Tourism Foci In Geotourismmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One example is gambling in Las Vegas (Buckley, 2003). Dowling, 2011;Farsani, Coelho, & Costa, 2011;Gordon, 2012;Hose & Vasiljević, 2012;Hose, 2012;Newsome, Dowling, & Leung, 2012;Newsome & Dowling, 2006Bosak, Boley, & Zaret, 2010Buckley, 2003;Farsani et al, 2011;Gordon, 2012;Lew, 2002;National Geographic, n.d.;Stueve, Cook, & Drew, 2002 The division between 'geographical' and 'geological' approaches is blurred somewhat by a few scholars who depart from either the geological or the geographical geotourism interpretation and make slight adjustments to this. One of the most influential stakeholders to make such changes is UNESCO, which manages the well-established Global Geopark Network (GGN).…”

Section: Contested Geotourism Interpretationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Developed by the National Geographic Society, this (social) geographical understanding of geotourism stresses regional uniqueness and identity together with a lesser focus on geological and geomorphological heritage as the object of tourism (Lew, 2002; National aesthetics, culture, and the well-being of residents' (National Geographic, n.d., p. 1). This way, it is seen as being closely connected to sustainable tourism while adding a specific focus on the geographical character of the destination (Bosak, Boley, & Zaret, 2010;Farsani et al, 2011;Hose, 2012;Lew, 2002). Buckley (2003) states that this does not limit geotourism to natural and rural sites.…”

Section: Contested Geotourism Interpretationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An integrative geotourism approach: bridging conflicts in tourism landscape research

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Landscapes have a central position in many rural tourism destinations. They provide both assets and bounds for tourism development, and they indirectly provide the framework in which tourism is often envisaged as a regional development tool. However, the complexity of the interactions between landscapes and tourism has resulted in multiple and sometimes contrasting interpretations and research focuses dealing with landscape-tourism interactions. These contrasts have impeded constructive discussion, dynamism and progress in tourism landscape research in general. To manoeuvre in this complex and 'chaotic' field, we argue that a reinterpretation of the concept of geotourism provides a structured way forward.A focus on geotourism, although highly contested as a scientific concept, creates opportunities to bridge the gap between tourism-centred and landscape-centred strands that dominate and hence divide current tourism landscape research. The adapted geotourism framework presented here, in which geotourism is re-interpreted as an approach to study landscape-tourism interactions instead of currently contrasting definitions as either geological niche tourism or a form of sustainable tourism, builds on the idea that landscapes and tourism are inextricably connected. Landscapes provide natural and cultural assets for tourism development, with destination images being constructed by emplaced social and power relations. Simultaneously, the created 'tourismscape' has constitutive power to shape the landscape and the processes within it. By building on this continuum between tourism and landscape, the proposed geotourism approach provides a solid conceptual foundation for future research on landscape-tourism interactions and the interrelations between tourism landscapes and regional development.

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Natural Resource Evaluation for Ecotourism and Geotourism Destination in Hong Kong

Marafa

2021

Sustainable Development Goals Series

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Deconstructing the ‘Crown of the Continent’: Power, Politics and the Process of Creating National Geographic's Geotourism Mapguides

Cited by 28 publications

References 22 publications

Geotourism: A Systematic Literature Review

Geotourism: A Systematic Literature Review

An integrative geotourism approach: bridging conflicts in tourism landscape research

Natural Resource Evaluation for Ecotourism and Geotourism Destination in Hong Kong

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