An Assessment of Geosites and Geomorphosites in the Lut Desert of Shahdad Region for Potential Geotourism Development

Rasa Raeisi, Iulian Dincă, Seyed Ali Almodaresi, Magdalena Petronella (Nellie) Swart and Ali Boloor
Additional contact information
Rasa Raeisi: Geography Department, Yazd Branch, Islamic Azad University, Yazd 89168 71967, Iran
Iulian Dincă: Department of Geography, Tourism and Territorial Planning, University of Oradea, Str. Universitatii nr. 1, 410087 Oradea, Romania
Seyed Ali Almodaresi: GIS & RS Department, Yazd Branch, Islamic Azad University, Yazd 89168 71967, Iran
Magdalena Petronella (Nellie) Swart: Department of Applied Management, University of South Africa (UNISA), ZA, Room 5-29, Anton Lembede Building, Pretoria 0003, South Africa
Ali Boloor: GIS & RS Department, Yazd Branch, Islamic Azad University, Yazd 89168 71967, Iran

Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 5, 1-25

Abstract: In the fields of geology, economics, history, cultural studies, and ecology, tourism can be the basis for proper planning, for sustainable tourism management, and for economic development. The Dasht-e Lut is one of the most significant desert areas in Iran due to its exemplary desert patterns and world-famous landscapes, such as the kaluts and nebkhas landforms. Furthermore, it is the hottest spot in the world and can attract adventurous tourists, amongst others, from around the globe. The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the most suitable geomorphosites for better sustainable tourism planning using three methods of evaluating geotourism as proposed by Pereira et al., Pralong, and Reynard et al. The results show that the geomorphosites of kaluts, nebkhas, and Gandom Beryan had the greatest potential for different reasons. In addition to geosites and geomorphosites, the night sky was also demonstrated to have a high potential to attract tourists. Using the economic criteria of the Reynard method, all geomorphosites had similar scores. The familiarity of officials and tourism planners with the tourist capabilities of this region can lead to economic and cultural capacity building for the Indigenous people and the tourism industry.

Keywords: natural environments; geosites; geomorphosites; geodiversity; landscapes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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