There are over 1300 active volcanoes worldwide and many more dormant or extinct. Some are developed as tourist destinations; others are not, but have great potential. Mount Fuji in Japan attracts over 100 million visitors per year and has immense cultural and spiritual significance, while a number of volcanic areas in national parks, for example Teide in Spain, Yellowstone in the US, Vesuvius in Italy and Tongariro in New Zealand, attract between one to four million tourists each year. In the last decade the designation of nearly 50 geoparks around the world has highlighted their potential for tourism development.

This book provides the first global review and assessment of the sustainable use of active and dormant volcanic and geothermal environments for geotourism. The volcano-based tourism sector is further augmented through a closely linked range of geothermal resources and attractions, such as geysers and hot springs, which are discussed in detail throughout individual chapters covering all key volcanic and geothermal regions around the world. It is shown that volcano and geothermal tourism is a subsection of nature-based geotourism and incorporates a variety of other tourism categories such as adventure tourism, extreme tourism, ecotourism, green tourism, educational tourism, and hot spring tourism. This comprehensive book covers the most important issues of this growing tourism sector whilst incorporating relevant global research, making it an essential resource for all in the field.

Includes colour plates.

Patricia Erfurt-Cooper lectures in Tourism Resource Management at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University and has authored or co-authored a number of books and articles in the fields of tourism, and environmental planning. Her research interests include risk management in volcanic and geothermal environments and the sustainable use of geothermal resources.

Dr. Malcolm Cooper is Vice President (Research) and holds the position of Professor of Tourism Management in the Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University Japan. He has published over 80 books, refereed articles and book chapters. His research interests include tourism development and planning, sustainable development and management of environmental resources.

Part I: Introduction

1. Introduction

Part II: Africa
Introduction

2. Africa's Great Volcanoes of the Albertine Rift Valley

3. Volcano Tourism in Ethiopia and the Danakil Rift Zone

Case Study 1: Reunion Island, France - Piton de la Fournaise Volcano

Case Study 2: Cap Verde Islands

Case Study 3: East Africa - Volcanoes, Glaciers and Safari Parks

Part III: The Americas
Introduction

4. The Lure of Lava Tubes: Exploring Lava Tube Tourism on the Big Island of Hawai'i

5. Geotourism and Public Safety in Volcanic Environments

6. The Economics of Volcano Tourism with Special Reference to Montserrat, West Indies

7. Volcano Tourism - Central and South American Examples

Case Study 4: The Cascades - Connecting Canada and the United States

Case Study 5: Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Case Study 6: The Galapagos Islands - Volcanoes and Wildlife

Case Study 7: Death by Volcanic Laze

Case Study 8: Alaska's Volcanoes - The Aleutian Arc and Wilderness

Case Study 9: Active Volcanoes in Mexico as Tourist Destinations

Part IV: Asia
Introduction

8. The Need for a Planning Framework to Preserve the Wilderness Values of Sibayak Volcano, North Sumatra, Indonesia

9. Volcano and Geothermal Tourism in Kyushu, Japan

10. Volcano and Geothermal Tourism in Japan - Examples from Honshu and Hokkaido

11. Jeju: South Korea's Premier Island Geotourism Destination

12. Volcano Tourism in Iran: Mt. Damavand, the Highest Peak in the Middle East

13. Volcano Tourism in the Philippines

Case Study 10: Challenging Destinations - The World Heritage listed Volcanoes of Kamchatka

Case Study 11: Krakatau, Indonesia, a Volcano with a History

Case Study 12: Geothermal Attractions and Active Volcanoes in China

Part V: Europe
Introduction

14. Emerging Volcano and Geothermal Related Tourism in Iceland

15. Volcano Tourism and its influence on the territory of Mount Etna (Italy) - explored with digressions to Stromboli (Italy)

16. Under the Volcano - Can sustainable tourism development be balanced with risk management?

17. The Auvergne - Centre of Volcanic Tourism in France

18. Volcanic Geotourism in West Coast Scotland

Case Study 13: The Azores - Volcanic Islands in the Atlantic

Case Study 14: The Canary Islands - Volcanic World Heritage of Spain

Case Study 15: Greece - Currently Dormant VolcanicIslands

Case Study 16: The Vulkaneifel - A Tourist Destination with a long History

Part VI: Oceania
Introduction

19. The Volcanoes of New Zealand

20. Volcano Tourism in the new Kanawinka Global Geopark of Victoria and SE South Australia

21. Volcanic Landforms as Tourist Attractions in Australian National Parks and other Protected Areas

Case Study 17: Vanuatu - Active Volcanism in the Pacific

Case Study 18: Geothermal Parks in New Zealand

Case Study 19: Deception Island - Hot Times on a Chilly Continent

Part VII

22. Conclusion

Appendices:

1. An Overview of Recent Volcanic Activity Worldwide
2. Major Volcanoes Worldwide
3. Hazard Map and Fact Sheet Template
4. Useful Websites