Scientific research and tourist promotion of geomorphological heritage

Abstract

Geotourism has developed rapidly in several European countries. Nevertheless, some supporting materials (panels, leaflets, etc.) are of poor scientific quality and lack method for an efficient diffusion of the scientific concepts towards the so-called «large public». This paper proposes an overview of the four main fields of research where both theoretical and applied studies may contribute to geotourism: (1) the development of methods for the assessment of sites of interest for geotourism; (2) the development of specific symbols and protocols for the simplification of the scientific information on geotouristic maps; (3) the development of methods and techniques that permit the transfer of scientific knowledge to a larger public (scientific mediation); (4) the evaluation of tourists’ needs.