Evaluation of the Visitor Understanding of Coastal Geotourism and Geoheritage Potential Based on Sustainable Regional Development in Western Black Sea Region, Turkey

Abstract

The Black Sea coasts of Turkey have important examples of geological heritage with coastal cliffs in terms of geological formations and features. The Güzelcehisar Basalt Columns (GBCs) formation and its coast have been chosen as a research area in this article in terms of its basalt columns, rare coastal geological diversity and coastal geotourism potential. This paper presents the results of a visitor survey undertaken at the GBCs formation and its coast, located in the rural coastal part of Bartın province in the Western Black Sea Region of Turkey. This survey was conducted in 2020 to assess the tourism shoulder season visitors to the Güzelcehisar village. With the survey, its aim was to determine the awareness of the visitors on geoconservation and geodiversity and to evaluate the understanding of geological heritage and geotourism. In addition, it was desired to set visitor expectations to improve the geotourism experience. It was found that visitors had a high level of understanding and awareness of the terms “geodiversity”, “geoheritage”, “geotourism” and “geoconservation”. However, this survey also shows that there is less emphasis on the need to protect the geodiversity in Güzelcehisar. Guided walking is preferred in order to improve visitor understanding and improve experiences. These survey findings contain guiding explanations for studies that could provide a wider interpretation of the perceptions, experiences and expectations of visitors regarding the sustainable development of areas with similar coastal geotourism potential in Turkey.

Geotourism, a New Perspective of Post-COVID-19-Pandemic Relaunch through Travel Agencies—Case Study: Bucegi Natural Park, Romania

“…According to López-Sanz et al (2021) [155], from a managerial perspective, the social, economic, and environmental sustainability of a tourist destination is crucial for its development [155]. In relation to sustainable regional development and the expansion of a geographical space, the more tourists visit and spend time in a natural protected area, the more income will continuously grow [156]. An essential solution for administrators and managers of protected areas would be to enhance tourist satisfaction in the Bucegi Natural Park area.…”