Transcript Heritage Tourism and Geo-Tourism

Heritage Tourism and Geo-Tourism
Fragmentation of Sustainable Tourism market
‘new tourism’ (1979)
alternative tourism (Butler, 1990)
ecotourism (1996)
literary tourism (1996)
ethnic tourism (1999)
volunteer tourism (2001)
pro-poor tourism (2002)
justice tourism (2002)
geotourism (2003)
reconciliation tourism (2006)
Eco-Tourism
Sources of agreement:
Nature based
Environmentally educated,
Sustainably managed
Sources of confusion in definition of Eco-Tourism
1. scientific, conservation, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)
2. multilateral aid institutions
3. developing countries
4. the travel industry and traveling public.
Geotourism
Geo tourism is defined as tourism that sustains or enhances the
geographical character of a place—its environment, culture,
aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents.
Geo-tourism incorporates the concept of sustainable tourism—
that destinations should remain unspoiled for future
generations—while allowing for ways to protect a place's
character. Geo-tourism also takes a principle from its
ecotourism cousin,—that tourism revenue should promote
conservation—and extends it to culture and history as well,
that is, all distinctive assets of a place.
Geo-tourism distinquished from Eco-tourism
Geo-tourism focuses on the geographical character of a region
many definitions of ecotourism limit ecotourism to only occurring in
protected or natural areas.
Geotourism Charter
Governments and allied organizations that sign this statement of
principles take a first step in adopting a geotourism strategy.
After committing to a geotourism strategy, signatories then work
with local communities to determine their geotourism goals.
National Geographic Geo-Tourism Charter
This global template is designed for nations but can also be adjusted for
signature by provinces, states, or smaller jurisdictions, and for endorsement by
international organizations.
Geotourism is defined as tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical
character of a place – its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the
well-being of its residents.
The Geotourism Charter
WHEREAS the geotourism approach is all-inclusive, focusing not only on the
environment, but also on the diversity of the cultural, historic, and scenic
assets of _______, WHEREAS the geotourism approach encourages citizens
and visitors to get involved rather than remain tourism spectators, and
WHEREAS the geotourism approach helps build a sense of national identity
and pride, stressing what is authentic and unique to________, THE
UNDERSIGNED parties to this Agreement of Intent commit to support these
geotourism principles, to sustain and enhance the geographical character of
_________—its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being
of its residents:
Areas of emphasis
Tourist-oriented focus
Integrity of place
International codes
Market selectivity
Market diversity
Tourist satisfaction
Location oriented focus
Community involvement
Community benefit
Protection and enhancement of destination appeal
Anticipate land use
Sustainiblility focus
Conservation of resources
Planning
Interactive interpretation
Evaluation
Integrity of place: Enhance geographical character by developing and
improving it in ways distinctive to the locale, reflective of its natural and
cultural heritage, so as to encourage market differentiation and cultural
pride.
International codes: Adhere to the principles embodied in the World
Tourism Organization’s Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and the
Principles of the Cultural Tourism Charter established by the
International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).
Market selectivity: Encourage growth in tourism market segments most
likely to appreciate, respect, and disseminate information about the
distinctive assets of the locale.
Market diversity: Encourage a full range of appropriate food and lodging
facilities, so as to appeal to the entire demographic spectrum of the
geotourism market and so maximize economic resiliency over both the
short and long term.
Tourist satisfaction: Ensure that satisfied, excited geotourists bring new
vacation stories home and send friends off to experience the same
thing, thus providing continuing demand for the destination.
Community involvement: Base tourism on community resources to the extent
possible, encouraging local small businesses and civic groups to build
partnerships to promote and provide a distinctive, honest visitor experience
and market their locales effectively. Help businesses develop approaches to
tourism that build on the area’s nature, history and culture, including food and
drink, artisanry, performance arts, etc.
Community benefit: Encourage micro-to medium-size enterprises and tourism
business strategies that emphasize economic and social benefits to involved
communities, especially poverty alleviation, with clear communication of the
destination stewardship policies required to maintain those benefits.
Protection and enhancement of destination appeal: Encourage businesses to
sustain natural habitats, heritage sites, aesthetic appeal, and local culture.
Prevent degradation by keeping volumes of tourists within maximum
acceptable limits. Seek business models that can operate profitably within
those limits. Use persuasion, incentives, and legal enforcement as needed.
Land use: Anticipate development pressures and apply techniques to prevent
undesired overdevelopment and degradation. Contain resort and vacationhome sprawl, especially on coasts and islands, so as to retain a diversity of
natural and scenic environments and ensure continued resident access to
waterfronts. Encourage major self-contained tourism attractions, such as largescale theme parks and convention centers unrelated to character of place, to
be sited in needier locations with no significant ecological, scenic, or cultural
assets.
Conservation of resources: Encourage businesses to minimize water pollution,
solid waste, energy consumption, water usage, landscaping chemicals, and
overly bright nighttime lighting. Advertise these measures in a way that
attracts the large, environmentally sympathetic tourist market.
Planning: Recognize and respect immediate economic needs without
sacrificing long-term character and the geo-tourism potential of the
destination. Where tourism attracts in-migration of workers, develop new
communities that themselves constitute a destination enhancement. Strive
to diversify the economy and limit population influx to sustainable levels.
Adopt public strategies for mitigating practices that are incompatible with
geo-tourism and damaging to the image of the destination.
Interactive interpretation: Engage both visitors and hosts in learning about the
place. Encourage residents to show off the natural and cultural heritage of
their communities, so that tourists gain a richer experience and residents
develop pride in their locales.
Evaluation: Establish an evaluation process to be conducted on a regular basis
by an independent panel representing all stakeholder interests, and
publicize evaluation results.
About Geo-tourism
Geo-tourism is defined as tourism that sustains or enhances the
geographical character of a place—its environment, culture,
aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents.
Geo-tourism incorporates the concept of sustainable tourism—that
destinations should remain unspoiled for future generations—while
allowing for ways to protect a place's character. Geo-tourism also
takes a principle from its ecotourism cousin,—that tourism revenue
should promote conservation—and extends it to culture and history
as well, that is, all distinctive assets of a place.
The Geo-tourism Charter: Governments and allied organizations that
sign this statement of principles take a first step in adopting a geotourism strategy. After committing to a geo-tourism strategy,
signatories then work with local communities to determine their geotourism goals.
What Is Sustainable Tourism?
Sustainable tourism, like a doctor's code of ethics, means "First, do no harm." It is the
foundation for destination stewardship.
Sustainable tourism protects its product-the destination. It avoids the "loved to death"
syndrome by anticipating development pressures and applying limits and
management techniques that preserve natural habitats, heritage sites, scenic
appeal, and local culture.
It conserves resources. Environmentally aware travelers patronize businesses that
reduce pollution, waste, energy consumption, water usage, landscaping chemicals,
and excessive nighttime lighting.
It respects local culture and tradition. Foreign visitors learn local etiquette, including at
least a few courtesy words in the local language. Residents learn how to deal with
foreign expectations that may differ from their own.
It aims for quality, not quantity. Destinations measure tourism success not just by
numbers of visitors, but by length of stay, how they spend their money, and the
quality of their experience.
What Is Geotourism?
Geo-tourism adds to sustainability principles by building on a
destination's geographical character, its "sense of place," to
emphasize the distinctiveness of its locale and benefit visitor and
resident alike.
Geo-tourism is synergistic: All the elements of geographical character
work together to create a tourist experience that is richer than the
sum of its parts, appealing to visitors with diverse interests.
It involves the community. Local businesses and civic groups join to
provide a distinctive, authentic visitor experience.
It informs both visitors and hosts. Residents discover their own heritage
by learning that things they take for granted may be interesting to
outsiders. As local people develop pride and skill in showing off their
locale, tourists get more out of their visit.
Who Benefits?
It benefits residents economically. Travel businesses hire local workers,
and use local services, products, and supplies. When community
members understand the benefits of geo-tourism, they take
responsibility for destination stewardship.
It supports integrity of place. Destination-savvy travelers seek out
businesses that emphasize the character of the locale. In return, local
stakeholders who receive economic benefits appreciate and protect
the value of those assets.
It means great trips. Enthusiastic visitors bring home new knowledge.
Their stories encourage friends and relatives to experience the same
thing, which brings continuing business for the destination.
Websites and links
The Center for Sustainable Tourism maintains a number of useful
web resources.
Paid Internships
Academic Links