The Role of the Picturesque in Geotourism and Iconic Geotourist Landscapes

Abstract

Geotourism can be defined as visits to locations that fall within the “geoheritage” category, whether natural or man-made. This underscores all the definitions of this phenomenon in the literature. The notions of the role and agency of typical geotourist motivations are much discussed in the definition of geotourism (i.e., cognitive orientation aimed at acquiring or expanding knowledge of geoscience, the history of Earth and geomorphological processes, and the like). Among the conceptual approaches in the field are those that emphasize more the final cognitive results of travel to geosites (in the form of the acquisition of knowledge on geoheritage by tourists) than the potential initial geotourist motivations of tourists. This article considers the picturesque esthetic of a landscape as the sole, main, or an important pull factor for geotourism and even whether this esthetic is necessary to transform a geosite into a tourist attraction. The picturesqueness of a landscape has varying importance for different categories of geotourists, from “unaware geotourists” to “geoexperts.” The iconic role of geotourist landscapes is illustrated by the Cretaceous landscape of the north-coast cliffs of Rügen (Germany), the rauks of Gotland and Fårö (Sweden), and the Trotternish Ridge with the Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye (Scotland).