Volcano and Geothermal Tourism: Sustainable Geo-Resources for Leisure and Recreation (Repost)

For most people it may come as a surprise that there are over 1300 active volcanoes worldwide and many more dormant or extinct. While not all of them can be reached this still means an abundance of destinations for people with an interest in volcanic and geothermal environments. Some are developed as tourist destinations; others are not, but have great potential. The diversity of complementary landscape features also makes volcanic and geothermal landforms very attractive to a broad spectrum of visitors. Visiting active volcanic and geothermal environments is not new. This form of tourism was included in the Grand Tour undertaken by many affluent Europeans several centuries ago in order to broaden their horizons. The geothermal regions of Italy, Greece and Iceland are well documented as prime destinations of this era. Today Mount Fuji in Japan attracts over 100 million visitors per year and has immense cultural and spiritual significance, while a number of volcanic areas in national parks, for example Teide in Spain, Yellowstone in the US, Vesuvius in Italy and Tongariro in New Zealand, attract between one to four million tourists each year. In the last decade the designation of nearly 50 geoparks around the world has highlighted their potential for tourism development.