Page 304 - Volcano and Geothermal Tourism

Case Study 16

The Vulkaneifel in Germany

A Destination for Geotourism

Patricia Erfurt-Cooper bordering on Belgium and Luxembourg in the
west and on the Rhine in the east (Figures CS16.1
Introduction and CS16.2). In 2004 the Vulkaneifel European
Geopark was officially recognized as a UNESCO
With geotourism as an expression of a growing global geopark, which is a significant step up from
trend towards the natural as well as cultural the original regional geopark designation as the
landscape (Pforr and Megerle, 2006) geoparks guidelines and criteria defined by UNESCO are
appear to hold the future for tourism in designated quite stringent and are evaluated by an international
areas on a global scale. One of these geoparks is the team of experts (UNESCO, 2006a). Below is a
2
Vulkaneifel which covers approximately 2000km definition of geoparks by UNESCO:
in the German State of Rhineland-Palatinate
A Geopark is a nationally protected area containing
a number of geological heritage sites of particular
importance, rarity or aesthetic appeal. These Earth

Figures CS16.1 and CS16.2 Maps showing the area of the Vulkaneifel

Source: Locator Map Vulkaneifel, 2010; Vulkaneifel European Geopark, 2010a; modified by author

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