Understanding Geotourism and the National Geotourism Strategy

The Australian Geoscience Council Inc believes that geotourism offers one of the best ways to communicate the value of geoscience to the broader Australian community. Geotourism offers the potential for new industries and employment opportunities for geoscientists through the development of major projects within Australia. In Australia, we have embraced the inclusive nature of the geotourism concept and have understood the inter-relationship between natural and cultural heritage elements, but it is not geological tourism. By focusing on the geology and geomorphology (i.e., physical geography) as well as the ecology and culture arising from these geological characteristics, it is believed in Australia that geotourism adds considerable content value to traditional nature-based tourism as well as to cultural tourism, inclusive of Aboriginal tourism. The concept of geotourism is explained by reviewing the natural and cultural heritage characteristics of the Flinders Ranges in South Australia, currently the subject of a World Heritage Area nomination. The implementation of the National Geotourism Strategy also provides a major opportunity for rural and regional development, focusing on both natural and cultural heritage, both mining and Aboriginal.