Volcanic Geoheritage and Geotourism in Volcanic Geoparks in China
Kejian Xu
Affiliations: School of Economics and Management, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
Presentation type: Poster
Presentation time: Monday 16:30 - 18:30, Room Poster Hall
Poster Board Number: 92
Programme No: 7.1.18
Abstract
Geotourism has become more popular in recent decades.Volcanic landscapes and volcanism together can fascinate a general public about the forces of nature. Volcanism has produced devastating natural disasters through human history but has also fostered the course of the evolution of humankind and its societies. Numerous volcanic processes are among those that captivate human minds at every level and provide fundamental information for understanding how the Earth works. China has abundant high quality volcanic geoheritage, which attracts a large number of visitors. At present, 9 UNESCO global geoparks and 20 national geoparks in China are volcanic geoparks. They aim to protect the volcanic heritage, communicate its values, and enhance it with the help of adequate geotourism offers. Geotourism could be an opportunity for rural development, and it could contribute to efforts in alleviating poverty and rural migration. This paper analyzes the characteristics, geoconservation, geoeducation and geotourism of volcanic geoheritage in volcanic geoparks in China, and discusses the main problems such as inefficient conservation management, uncoordinated development, and poor interpretation. In addition, some suggestions have been provided.