Abstract
Geoheritage and geotourism are two important aspects of human appreciation of the Earth’s geological resources. Geoheritage refers to the elements of the Earth that we value, whereas geotourism is a type of tourism that is based on some aspects of the Earth’s geological and/or geomorphological heritage. Geotourism may have either positive (beneficial) or negative (adverse) impacts on geoheritage. At best geotourism fosters an understanding of and a connection with geological features through visitation, interpretation and education. However, if not planned and developed appropriately, geotourism may cause adverse impacts on geoheritage as a result of ineffective management of geological attractions. This chapter describes the relationships between geoheritage and geotourism and outlines the tourism link between the two through a series of examples of geotourism in selected geological settings.