Home – Home – Jornals – Geography and Natural Resources 2022 number 4

The prospects for the development of geological tourism as one of the directions of ecological educational and scientific tourism on the territory of the Baikal area of the UNESCO World Natural Heritage sites are discussed. According to these authors, this territory can be considered as a biosphere geopark which has the necessary preconditions for creating a system of Geoparks here and raising the question of including them in the global network of UNESCO Geoparks. A specific feature of the geopolygon is its location in the central part of the Baikal rift system and in the Central ecological zone of the Baikal natural territory of high ecological and legal significance. Within the Baikal depression and its mountainous surroundings, there are natural sites of international importance. The basis for the development of geological tourism is formed by the structure of the Earth’s crust, various rocks and minerals, geological formations demonstrating the evolution of the lithosphere, mountainous dissected relief, formed under the influence of the latest tectonic movements, and the specific Baikal climate. Sites of geological tourism have been identified, a geological and recreational zoning of the territory has been carried out, taking into account the features of the geological structure, terrain, the degree of complexity of engineering and geological conditions, the presence and location of unique and valuable geological objects. Geological tourism is considered in the biosphere context, according to which geological processes and phenomena are positioned against the background of ecosystems characterized by high rates of self-healing potential and attractiveness: a special aesthetic and emotional-cognitive attractiveness. This allows the various types of educational and scientific tourism to be combined. The adopted noospheric paradigm involves a high scientific, technical and educational level of training for the development of geological tourism, and ensures the attractiveness and stability of geological objects against the background of living nature. The prospects for further research related to the provision of ecosystem services for organizing and conducting geological excursions and routes have been identified.