Unesco global geoparks in spain: Between science popularization and tourism development

Abstract

Spain is the first European country and the second of the world with the highest number of UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGps). By the Cultural Park of Maestrazgo, Spain is one of the pioneers of the European Geopark label. However, research related to this UNESCO label from other fields of study rather than the Earth Sciences, are very few in the country. This text proposes a multidisciplinary analysis of the heritagization processes in the 11 Spanish UGGps and the two aspiring territories between 2015 and 2017, gathering contributions from museological and geographical research studies. The results expose several ambivalences in the Spanish framework, regarding the differences between the UNESCO guidelines and the interest, representations, and intentions in the management structures of each UGGp. The results demonstrate the presence of epistemological conflicts and antinomies logics constraining the possibilities to co-construct a territorial narrative and to keep the holistic approach. In this way the mangement structures focus, in general, on only one or two of the three goals that define the UGGp concept (education, conservation and development). The results finally incite to rethink the evaluation and revalidation system of the UGGps.