Reconsidering the boundaries and applications of Geotourism lessons learnt from tourism at Mount Vesuvius

Active volcanic reagions and a vibrant tourism industry may at first consideration seem to be an unlikely combination. However, even just a cursory search on the Internet brings up a whole range of tours, experiences and accommodation from Hawaii to Iceland, Ethiopia to Japan. The attraction extends beyond the dramatic landscapes of perfect cone shaped peaks, as rich volcanic soils often produce wide arrays of flora and fauna. Equally, the promise of plentiful harvests has long drawn dense human habitation around the world’s volcanoes. Thus further layers of cultural, religious and agricultural patrimony can be seen to draw tourists in to visiting these potentially dangerous sites. As documented across eruptions over the centuries, a very thin line exists between natural drama and disaster. Hence a burgeoning body of research has evolved, from the geological understanding of when and how eruptions occur, to risk management and prevention for the populations living around active volcanoes. More recently multidisciplinary teams have emerged to create bridges between the volcanologists, emergency managers, social scientists and community representatives to ensure effective transferral of information alongside the construction and implementation of robust crisis plans. However, little has been written with respect to how destinations near to active volcanic sites may mitigate often much needed economic growth through sustainable tourism development with the demands required for effective risk management.