Geography & Geology

Make travel more memorable

Tourism stimulates global movements of people. It creates relationships between people and the places they visit and impacts national, regional and local economies and environments. National Geographic defines geotourism as tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place - its environment, geology, culture, aesthetics, heritage and the well-being of its resident. Academic institutions, tourism bureaus, the hospitality industry, regional and national governments have begun to adopt this new concept in tourism development.

How does tourism shape landscapes, impact the environment and affect communities and economic development? These are just some of the questions that are explored during studies in geotourism. 

Study in geotourism represents an excellent example of applied human geography. Upon completion of the concentration, students will be well prepared as tourism geography specialists.

Academic Programs

EMU’s Department of Geography and Geology offers two tourism geography programs:

• Geotourism and Historic Preservation major
• Geotourism minor

Required courses

A Geotourism and Historic Preservation combined major [BS] requires 59 credits, including 47 credits of required Geography and Historic Preservation courses and 12 credits in elective courses.

The Geotourism minor requires 17 credits in required courses and 5–7 credits in elective courses.

Geotourism majors will learn to:

• Explain the tourism industry, including the historical impact it has on local cultures and environments.
• Identify potential opportunities for the development or growth of the tourism industry in a given region.
• Apply interpretive techniques to cultural and natural tourism resources to connect and influence visitors.
• Analyze visitor behaviors and interactions to help improve tourism experiences.

Geotourism majors are often employed by:

• Local and state governments
• State and National Park systems
• Convention and visitor bureaus
• Tour operators
• Airlines
• Hotel chains
• Remote sensing
• Geospatial intelligence