What are the benefits of living in a Geopark?
Strong local involvement in sustainable development strategies brings its own benefits for the local community and every Geopark will have its own unique approach to the issues according to local priorities.
Visitors to the Geopark want to know how communities work and what challenges they face. Customs, culture, language, landscape – thriving communities are vital to the ongoing viability of NWH Geopark. The aim is to carry out appropriate development which maximises current potential without compromising future possibilities for generations to come.
Some of the benefits include:
- opportunities for local businesses to diversify into tourism niche markets such as geotourism or the green tourism sector
- meeting increasing demand for locally produced food, clothing, arts and crafts
- marketing advantages achieved by being part of European and Global Geopark networks
- better promotion of local events and activities to a wider audience
- development and marketing of local skills, knowledge and aspects of cultural heritage e.g. traditional skills, music festivals, language learning opportunities
- new employment opportunities for local people with expertise in geosciences or geotourism
