Page 110 - Volcano and Geothermal Tourism

On the Economics and Social Typology of Volcano Tourism with Special Reference to Montserrat, West Indies 87

Geotourism also overlaps with and shares opportunity to set prices without the need to
many characteristics with ecotourism and may invoke protectionism, a flexible supply system that
even be regarded a subset of it (Burek and Prosser, can respond rapidly to fluctuations in market
2008). Distinct from volcanology, the wider Earth demand, and its role in creating and sustaining
sciences, defined broadly to include coastal and economic diversity. However, does a natural
marine environments and sites of scientific interest resource (that is, in the context of tourism a
related to geology, are fairly numerous. For marketable feature that could include a volcano)
example, the coastline of southern England automatically translate into economic growth for
(December 2001) has been designated a world the host country? The answer may well be no: see
heritage site by the United Nations in recognition Sachs and Warner (2001), who show in their
of its unique rock formations and fossil locations, analysis of post World War II economic output
and similar designations have been bestowed on that those countries blessed with abundant natural
regions of exceptional natural beauty the world resources have economies that have grown more
over. Some of these, such as the national parks of slowly than resource-poor ones (Figure 6.1). The
Yellowstone in the USA and Hawai‘i, are volcanic reason for this is still not entirely clear but may be
in origin. Indeed, in a fact not lost on most due to the fact that resource-abundant countries
practicing geologists, many of the most popular have high-price economies and may have missed
and/or exclusive tourist resorts on Earth, including out on export-led growth. Assuming that this is
the Caribbean and Canary Islands and inland indeed true, then an interesting corollary can be
chains in the South Pacific are entirely volcanic made with the tourism trade such that countries
in origin, making a direct link between their blessed with abundant environmental resources
physical origin and geotourism inevitable. Indeed, (sun, sea, sand, beautiful location and exotic
something of a trend is developing in the wider attractions), may not grow rich from such activities,
geosciences community where the economic and in fact the reverse.
social benefits of these precious natural resources A compelling example of this could be called
are being recognized. For example, at the recent a tale of two islands – Jamaica and Singapore. One
33rd Geological Congress in Oslo, a research (Jamaica) is formed from volcanic activity and a
session was devoted to proposals for geoparks, notable tourist destination, so in this sense is
UNESCO-approved areas of significant Earth endowed with environmental resources, yet as an
science interest. The idea is that geoparks will economic power it pales against Singapore which
provide a means of generating additional tourist has one of the highest post-war GDP growth
income to countries that may be off the beaten rates per capita, yet rates lowly as a tourist
track as far as mainstream tourism is concerned destination and lacks any substantial natural
(Forty, 2008). On a more directly relevant theme, resource (e.g. oil). While by no means definitive,
2002 saw the opening in France of Vulcania, Parc this correlation points to factors such as an over
European du Volcanism in the Puy de Dome, reliance on a single source of income (e.g.
Auvergne, famous for its (now extinct) volcanic tourism) may act as a ‘trap’ or be considered a
activity (see Chapter 17). These and other sites curse to those in a low wage, low innovation
look set to continue a trend linking active or economy. Where development funds are available
former sites of volcanic activity to theme parks they are channelled into the front-line tourism
with a strong educational component. industry hindering the development of other
forms of production and, ironically, limiting the
Tourism and the curse of ability of destinations to hold on to the foreign
natural resources exchange that follows the tourists. Clearly any
such ‘curse’ would have implications for developing
From an economic perspective, tourism has countries or regions trying to improve GDP by
product characteristics that make it an attractive relying dominantly on, for example, volcano or
option. These include its role as a fast foreign ecotourism as the major or single source of
exchange earner, its labour intensive nature, the economic growth.

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