Fieldtrips and Virtual Tours as Geotourism Resources: Examples from the Sesia Val Grande UNESCO Global Geopark (NW Italy)

Abstract

In the 20th anniversary year of the European Geopark Network, and 5 years on from the receipt of the UNESCO label for the geoparks, this research focuses on geotourism contents and solutions within one of the most recently designated geoparks, admitted for membership in 2013: the Sesia Val Grande UNESCO Global Geopark (Western Italian Alps). The main aim of this paper is to corroborate the use of fieldtrips and virtual tours as resources for geotourism. The analysis is developed according to: i) geodiversity and geoheritage of the geopark territory; ii) different approaches for planning fieldtrip and virtual tours. The lists of 18 geotrails, 68 geosites and 13 off-site geoheritage elements (e.g., museums, geolabs) are provided. Then, seven trails were selected as a mirror of the geodiversity and as container of on-site and off-site geoheritage within the geopark. They were described to highlight the different approaches that were implemented for their valorization. Most of the geotrails are equipped with panels, and supported by the presence of thematic laboratories or sections in museums. A multidisciplinary approach (e.g., history, ecology) is applied to some geotrails, and a few of them are translated into virtual tours. The variety of geosciences contents of the geopark territory is hence viewed as richness, in term of high geodiversity, but also in term of diversification for its valorization.

The Po Plain Loess Basin (Northern Italy): Scientific Values, Threats, and Promotion Opportunities

“…Side by side to field experiences, representing a powerful tool towards Earth Sciences education (e.g. Pelfini et al 2016), the most recent technologies provide innovative opportunities (Cayla 2014;Perotti et al 2020). They can be applied to show the current conditions of geoheritage features, as much as the past conditions and evolution.…”

“…Google Earth™, Google Maps™) that can show in advance localities, also with 3D views, to the potential visitors (e.g. Perotti et al 2020). Recent proposals show how to overlap geoheritage sites to thematic maps (e.g.…”

“…Recent proposals show how to overlap geoheritage sites to thematic maps (e.g. Pelfini et al, 2020) realizing Google Earth™ flights (e.g. Martínez-Graña et al 2013) to contextualize the information at the regional scale.…”

Geoheritage and Geotourism Resources

“…The general approach includes geosites/geomorphosites identification and evaluation by means of several methodologies [5][6][7][8][9][10]. This step is generally followed by the proposition of geo-itineraries that, in the case of areas already included in protected areas [14][15][16]26], aims at implementing the valorizations of the sites and at focusing on their potential didactic/touristic values. In particular, Perotti et al [15] explained how different methods and approaches (fieldtrips and virtual tours together with more traditional ones like explicative panels and in situ museum) helped in outlining the geodiversity of the Valsesia Geopark.…”

“…This step is generally followed by the proposition of geo-itineraries that, in the case of areas already included in protected areas [14][15][16]26], aims at implementing the valorizations of the sites and at focusing on their potential didactic/touristic values. In particular, Perotti et al [15] explained how different methods and approaches (fieldtrips and virtual tours together with more traditional ones like explicative panels and in situ museum) helped in outlining the geodiversity of the Valsesia Geopark. Widawsky et al [26] instead analyzed the tourist potential in terms of Geotourism of the Gorczański National Park in Poland.…”