Geoturist trails: a geomorphological risk-impact analysis

An interest in the geomorphological environment has been growing in recent years, and initiatives such as geotourist trails have been created to satisfy this demand. These trails are frequently installed in landscapes that are currently undergoing rapid transformation due to natural and anthropogenic causes, thereby bringing about changes that can increase the geomorphological hazard and risk. The activity of geotourism necessarily involves coming into contact with the natural environment, and the degree of contact will vary depending on the geotourists’ cultural background and physical ability. It is, therefore, necessary to survey the potential hazards and the geomorphological features that could impede progress along tourist itineraries. Additionally, the creation of naturalistic trails inevitably creates a negative impact on geomorphosites depending on the level of tourism and the fragility of the local ecosystem. The demarcation of stretches of trails as hazardous or difficult to access should not be understood as a means of causing alarm, but rather as a useful instrument for risk mitigation