ORIGINAL ARTICLE Geotourism and Geoparks—A Tool for Geoconservation and Rural Development in Vulnerable Environments: A Case Study from Iceland Rannveig Ólafsdóttir & Ross Dowling Received: 16 December 2012 /Accepted: 20 November 2013 # The European Association for Conservation of the Geological Heritage 2013 Abstract Iceland has a unique geology and a dynamic natural landscape which has long attracted a large number of tourists to the island. Owing to the dynamic geological processes which are still shaping the Icelandic landscape, combined with the country's raw nature, Iceland is often referred to as an open laboratory in geosciences. Geotourism and geoparks are rela- tively new concepts within tourism. However, both have grown rapidly over the past decade. Geotourism has evolved partially in response to the need to minimize the negative impacts of mass tourism in geologically and geographically situated tourist environments, whilst at the same time provid- ing a catalyst for sustainable rural development. This paper attempts to assess the compatibility of geoconservation and rural development within geotourism by exploring the chal- lenges and potential outcomes of the geotourism development in Iceland; by identifying and analysing the various potential outcomes of geopark development; and by proposing a stra- tegic planning approach for sustainable geotourism planning and management in vulnerable environments. The results indicate nine distinctive sites for geopark development, each of which presents the major challenge of using geological heritage as a basis for informing the area's ‘ABC’ components such that both visitors and locals are given a holistic appreci- ation of the area based on an understanding of its geology. The results further emphasize the importance of sustainable man- agement in geotourism development. Only when managed in a sustainable manner is geotourism likely to provide long-term improvements for developments in rural areas. Keywords Geotourism . Geoparks . Geoconservation . Rural development . Sustainable tourism . Iceland Introduction Within the field of tourism, geotourism and geoparks are two of the most recent concepts. According to Newsome and Dowling (2010) geotourism has developed to address the need to minimize the negative impacts of mass tourism at tourist sites based around geological and geomorphological attrac- tions. They stress that its central goal is an emphasis on sustainable tourism development in primarily rural and natural environments. A geopark on the other hand is a tool for sustainable development as well as a global marketing con- cept. It is defined by UNESCO (2006) as a nationally protected area that contains a number of geological heritage sites of particular importance, rarity or aesthetic appeal, and is one element in an integrated concept of protection, education and sustainable development. For this reason, both geotourism and geopark may be seen as attractive tools for rural development in many peripheral areas facing emigration. Iceland has a unique geology and a dynamic natural land- scape which has long attracted international tourists to the island. Owing to the dynamic processes still shaping the Icelandic landscape, combined with the country's raw natural environment, Iceland is often referred to as an open laboratory in geosciences. The uniqueness of Iceland's geology lies in the fact that the country is part of the ocean rift system which is normally a suboceanic feature. It is a rare exception for the oceanic rift system to be above sea level, the prime cause being a hot spot or a plume of upwelling from deep within the mantle and associated high volcanic production (Steinþórsson R. Ólafsdóttir (*) Department of Geography and Tourism, The Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland, Sturlugata 7, IS-101 Reykjavík, Iceland e-mail: ranny@hi.is R. Dowling School of Business & Centre for Innovative Practice, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Perth, WA 6027, Australia e-mail: r.dowling@ecu.edu.au Geoheritage DOI 10.1007/s12371-013-0095-3