Page 49 - Volcano and Geothermal Tourism

26 Introduction

Americas. South, Central and North America and come face to face with powerful displays of nature
off-shore islands are represented by examples. For at work. Finally, the book is completed by Part 7,
many people around the world the first place with which contains one chapter. In this the editors
volcanic activity that comes to mind is probably summarize, map and synthesize the analyses and
Hawai‘i and the benevolent flowing and glowing findings of 21 contributors, and identify priorities
lava which can often be viewed from relatively for further research in this rapidly developing area
close up without any risk to the curious visitor. of geotourism.
Although this may be the case in a controlled
environment accompanied by trained guides or References
rangers this can lead to fatal errors in judgement ABC News (2007) ‘Tourist killed after falling into
when tourists are venturing out on their own, volcano’, abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/08/
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people often associate volcanism elsewhere with Action Asia (2009) ‘Volcano hikes: Having a blast –
the gently flowing lava in Hawai‘i, a perception Asia’s 10 best volcano hikes’, www.actionasia.com/
that cannot be applied to completely different actionasia/Articles/index.jsp?aid=3056, accessed
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to outrun a lava or pyroclastic flow could not be Aguirre, J.A. and Ahearn, M. (2007) ‘Tourism, volcanic
further from reality in other areas. eruptions, and information: lessons for crisis
Volcano tourism in Asia, as described in the management in National Parks’, Costa Rica, 2006,
six chapters and three case studies of Part IV, in Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural, Vol. 5,
includes the opportunity to visit highly active and No 2. Pp. 175-191 Alvarado, G. E. and Soto, G. J.
(2008) ‘Volcanoes in the pre-Columbian life,
potentially dangerous volcanic and related legend, and archaeology of Costa Rica’, Journal of
geothermal landforms within the close vicinity of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, vol 176,
active volcanoes. These chapters allow for a deeper pp356–362
insight into a tourism sector which to date has not Aramaki, S., Barberi, F., Casadevall, T. and McNutt, S.
been researched and described in greater depth. (1994) ‘Safety recommendations for volcanologists
The visitors to this particular region include not and the public’, Bulletin of Volcanology, vol 56,
only international volcano lovers, scientists and pp151–154
geotourists, but also local residents, who, in many Bankoff, G., Frerks, G. and Hilhorst, D. (eds) (2004)
highly active regions, have a very close cultural Mapping Vulnerability: Disasters, Development and
connection to their local fire mountains. People, Earthscan, London
Part V discusses Europe where both dormant Belton, F. (2006) ‘Ol Doinyo Lengai - the Mountain of
as well as very active volcanic regions can be God’, Online Document: frank.mtsu.edu/
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found and volcano tourism has been practiced for Bentley, T. A., Page, S. J. and Macky, K. A. (2007)
several centuries. Iceland, for example, offers ‘Adventure tourism and adventure sports injury:
volcano tourism all over the country within its The New Zealand experience’, Applied Ergonomics,
unique landforms and spectacular scenery offering vol 38, no 6, pp791–796
insights into the Earth’s geologic processes that Blong, R. A. (1989) ‘Volcanic hazards’, in R. W.
continue to this day. Several volcanic regions of Johnson (ed) Intraplate Volcanism in Eastern Australia
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Oceania is discussed in Part 6, in three chapters Blong, R. (2000) ‘Volcanic hazards and risk
and three case studies. This part of the world has management’, in Sigurdsson, H., Houghton, B.,
some of the most active volcanic and geothermal McNutt, S., Rhymer, H. and Stix, J. (eds) Encyclopedia
areas to be found on Earth and therefore attracts a of Volcanoes, Academic Press, An Imprint of Elsevier,
growing number of tourists who have the desire to San Diego, CA

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