Geological Tourist Tribes

Geological tourism has a long history. Certain groups of people have long been attracted to landscapes or landforms to see geomorphic features such as hills, mountains, plateaus, plains, deserts, canyons or glaciers. In addition, many are attracted to the earth surface processes which either build up the earth (such as tectonic or mountain building processes, volcanic activity or sedimentary processes) or tear it down (e.g. wind [aeolian], river or glacial erosion). These geological tourists are often regarded as being ‘geo-experts’ or ‘geo-specialists’ and often comprise professional or amateur geologists who have a good understanding of geology and a strong desire to place it at the center of their travels. At the extreme edge of geological tourist tribes are those who search or fossick for minerals, gems or fossils. Today these geological tourists form one segment of a wider group called ‘geotourists’. Geotourists with a focus on ‘geological’ features form one end of a spectrum of geotourists with those having a more ‘geographical’ focus at the opposite end. Whilst starting with an interest in geology these geographical tourists are now much more interested in learning about the connections between geology, habitats and people. Their focus is on gaining a more holistic understanding of their travel destinations. A number of types of geotourists have been identified including incidental, accidental, serendipitous, intentional and purposeful geotourists. The last two types are emerging as tribes of geotourists having a keen focus on travelling to see and learn about landforms or geological phenomena. Thus, there is emerging a spectrum of geotourists which range from ‘geological’ to ‘geographical’ in orientation, and may be passive to active in their travels. This chapter contextualizes geotourism, geotourists and geological tourist tribes.