Geotourism

Geotourism is nothing new. Many European countries, America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have a long history of using geological and geomorphological phenomena to attract visitors. The geysers and waterfalls of Yellowstone National Park, for example, draw tourists from all over the world.

Geotourism isn’t new to Britain or Wales. But we haven’t yet tapped the full potential of geosites here. It’s a major aim to attract more visitors to Wales’ outstanding sites. It is also an aim to encourage local people to use, explore and learn from the geological heritage on their doorstep.

This development must take the conservation and protection of geosites and related features (e.g. archaeological monuments and wildlife sites) into account. They must be acceptable to landowners and must be sustainable.

Geotourism initiatives are at the heart of the Anglesey and South Wales Coalfield geopark projects and are an integral part of most Local Geodiversity Action Plans (LGAPs).