Published on : Sunday, December 8, 2013
Nine sites designated as Global Geoparks in 2010, among them, six sites will begin developing representative Geopark products. Jeju Tourism Organization along with Jeju City and Seogwipo City report that they are succeeding with Global Geo-park Committees to economically activate UNESCO-affiliated Geopark sites.
Each one site will have a designated theme according to its geological features, culture, and tourist attractions. The plan aims to develop the value by promoting regional economic development through geo-tourism and UNESCO-branded regional products.
Geo-tourism products like geo-trails, which combine hiking with storytelling, will be developed, as will geo-experience programs. Local officials expect that with such strong central government support, the plan will be of great benefit to Jeju, which has a budget shortfall.
Continuing until 2015, Seoul will support the plan with 3.572 billion won with 358 million won provided by the provincial government. Geo-tourism was developed in Europe and involves using tourism to preserve geological features, culture, civilization, and tourist attractions. Rather than just sightseeing, geo-tourism is inherently educational and conservation-driven.
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