Page 270 - Volcano and Geothermal Tourism

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The Auvergne – Centre of

Volcanic Tourism in France

Malcolm Cooper and Jeremy Eades destination and 14 million (17 per cent) were
transiting. Of the 68 million, 72 per cent were
Introduction tourists and 11 per cent business travellers; 48 per
cent stayed between one and three nights and 54 per
Even though France is not known for active cent more than four nights. Some of the 14 million
volcanoes there are a number of dormant volcanoes transit passengers stayed one night while waiting for
and a number of active geothermal sites, especially onward flights. The country’s tourism shows a
in the Massif Central of the country. Here, the distinct spike April to September, whereas business
remnant volcanic landscape has been exploited for flows are constant all year round. Of these, tourists
geotourism in two main ways. The first is the sightseeing opportunities attracted 83 per cent,
establishment of the Auvergne Volcanoes Regional cultural tourism 29 per cent, shopping 16 per cent,
Park, the largest natural park in France, and a and sporting activities and theme parks attracted 7
major centre for health and wellness spa tourism, per cent of all visitors each. Of the countries of
geotourism and adventure tourism. Second, there origin the Germans, Japanese and Italians favoured
are two educational theme parks in this area cultural tourism and shopping, while the British (the
devoted to volcanoes: Vulcania, a series of displays largest group), Belgians and Americans favoured
and exhibitions built into the cone of a dormant sporting activities (UNWTO, 2008).
volcano, and Lemptégy, where visitors can descend Table 17.1 lists the top ten countries on
into an actual crater. This chapter explores the arrivals as determined by UNWTO (2008), but
geological background, cultural and historic uses, shows that these rankings are not necessarily
and management of the Auvergne and other sites correlated with the level of inbound receipts, and
(Cap d’Agde in the south of the Languedoc, for can be considerably different from rank on
example), and the development and management outbound expenditure. On these additional
of the attractions based on them and the ways in measures France ranks third in receipts from
which the surrounding regions attempt to link inbound tourism despite its first placing in terms
them in with other forms of regional tourism of arrivals, suggesting that there is less revenue
(food and wine, heritage and culture, etc.), through gained from the 14 million transit passengers, and
joint publicity and marketing, and through tour fourth in outbound expenditure, resulting in a net
suggestions. benefit from tourism of 17 billion USD in 2007.
France is the most visited country in the world Germans on the other hand spent more than
in the 21st century (Table 17.1; UNWTO, 2008). double the amount overseas than that country
Eighty-two million visitors were recorded in 2007 gained from inbound tourism in 2007, as did
(Direction du Tourisme, 2008), 68 million (83 per those from the UK and Japan, which continued to
cent) of which had France as their primary rate very low on inbound tourism in 2007 but was

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