Page 337 - Volcano and Geothermal Tourism

Volcanic Landforms as Tourist Attractions in Australian National Parks and Other Protected Areas 313

ecotourism and marine tourism, but also volcano landscape attraction offering visitors the
tourism, even if this is not obvious initially. As opportunity to learn more about the geological
volcano tourism has not received much attention history of certain regions including accounts of
as an individual tourism category there is an volcanic activity, remnants of which can be found
apparent lack of research into its nature and extent, along the eastern seaboard and in the south-east of
despite the fact that an increasing number of Australia (Figure 21.1).
people are shifting their focus towards the physical The eastern part of Australia, extending from
landscape, including our geological heritage of far north Queensland to the south-east of South
which volcanoes are a part. Volcanoes do not have Australia, including Tasmania, is subdivided into
to be active to represent interesting and unique individual volcanic provinces dominated by
landscape features and are being progressively put numerous volcanoes and extensive lava fields
to use to attract visitors to even the remotest areas (Johnson et al, 1989). At first glance Australia does
to benefit from the tourist dollar. not look as if its remnant volcanoes could represent
Australia’s volcanic past has been included in a significant attraction for nature-based tourism;
many areas, often in national parks, as a unique however, when participating in guided tours along

Figure 21.1 The grey dotted areas indicate some of the volcanic provinces of Australia
Note: Map modified by author.

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