A modified geosite assessment model (M-GAM) and its application on the Lazar Canyon area (Serbia)

Abstract

© 2014 - Journal Management System. The aim of this paper is to present a modified version of GAM (M-GAM) which should show that the results gained by using this version are more accurate and realistic. The modification is based on the inclusion of tourists and their opinion regarding the importance of indicators in the assessment process. The assessment was done by using both versions of GAM and the results were compared and analyzed afterwards. Both assessment methods were applied on the Lazar Canyon area located in eastern Serbia, a territory which possesses a large concentration of geosites on a relatively small surface area and it has great potential for geotourism development. The study revealed that the inclusion of tourists in the assessment process can have crucial impact on the final results. By introducing the importance factor in the modified model we were able to point out those values which are of paramount importance for tourists. This can be rather useful in the improvement and planning of tourism activities as it exactly shows which of the lower values should receive the most attention in the future based on their significance for tourists.