Sustainable Geotourism: Developing a Grounded Model for Evaluation of Geotouristic Capacities in Geosites via the Study of Khorzeneh in Hamedan, Iran

Abstract

Due to the environmental crises that have been burdening human settlements and environments since the onset of the age of modernity, geoheritage has gained much attention from researchers and experts. Geosites are among the most important legacies of the earth, with valuable environmental features. However, the revitalization of these natural sites and the presence of tourists around them can harm their new environmental features. A review of the related literature shows that the predominant focus of most studies is provision of a uniform outlook for all geosites based on standardization and generalization. However, each of these natural sites is different from the others. This study was conducted to find out how a grounded model can be developed for each geosite individually based on the geotourism capacities of the area where they are located. To this end, the Khorzeneh geosite in Hamedan City, Iran, was chosen for study because of its environmental, historical, and social characteristics. Therefore, a comparison was made between the model developed in this study using the grounded theory and interviews with experts in Hamedan City and the global standards of geosites. This comparison shows that creating shared concepts between scientific and tourism grounds concerning the Khorzeneh geosite should be performed based on history. In other words, the history factor is attractive to both academics and tourists. Creating such shared grounds can help create a balance between the geoheritage and the tourism goals of this geosite.