Geotourism Observational Investigation From the Tourist Perspective: A Case Study of Kyushu Area Volcanoes, Japan

Of late, geotourism has become a viable part of global tourism; however, it is still a little-known tourism activity in many parts of the world. Geologists and volcanologists have been studying active volcanoes for years, but it is just in the past several decades that geotourism has become popular with those seeking an interesting and adventurous tourism experience. In the authors’ country of residence, Japan, volcanoes are part of the fabric of society in that many people live and work directly around active volcanoes, which have generated keen tourism interest there. Kyushu, where the authors live, contains four active volcanoes that are geo-related tourism destinations; several of them have been given UNESCO Global Geopark (UGGP) status. However, very little research has been conducted among these volcanoes, and, as such, the volcanoes receive little attention globally. To fill this gap, the authors decided to conduct observational investigations of each of the volcanoes to determine the potential for tourism activities. Findings show that all sites had potential to be interesting and informative destinations that offer interesting geo experiences with opportunities for environmental learning.