Meteorum - Touch the Universe
“Meteorum: Touch the universe” How could a geopark at Lake Siljan be developed into a
tourist destination?
“At present, geotourism is a new movement, helping travelers to increase their
knowledge about natural resources, the cultural identities of hosts and ways of
preserving them” (Farsani, Coelho & Costa, 2011, p.68). However, as a just recently
emerging tourism movement, geotourism is indeed at an early stage of commercial
development. Farsani, Coelho and Costa (2011) hence, call geoparks “pioneers” within
the development of geotourism. The Global Geopark Network includes about 100
international geoparks worldwide (Meteorum, 2014). In an innovative way, these geology
parks embody the possibility to protect natural and geological heritage. More than that,
they have the potential to trigger rural tourism development and therewith economic
activities, new job opportunities, additional sources of income, boosting of local products
and culture, as well as local awareness and involvement (Farsani, Coelho & Costa, 2011).
A geopark aims to combine these natural, cultural and economic dimensions and sets a
focus on sustainability (Meteorum, 2014). Lake Siljan in Sweden happened to be the
scene where approximately 380 million years ago, a large meteor crashed into the Earth
surface.
Logo Meteorum – Touch the Universe (Meteorum,
2014)
„The Siljan Ring is one of few places in the world where you can experience the
geological effects of one of the largest meteorite impact craters on Earth. Our vision of
Meteorum is to create a geopark and connect this cosmic event with our existence on
Earth” (Meteorum, 2014). Although the aim of establishing the geopark at Lake Siljan
has roots in a local initiative, it was the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences that
suggested this unique place should become the first international geopark in Sweden. The
meteorite strike left a nowadays still visible structure, “the Siljan Ring”. This site is of
extreme unique importance, as it is one of the only ones on Earth, where you can still
experience the geological remains of this massive meteorite impact (Meteorum, 2014).
Behind this exciting vision and noble aim, questions arise in terms of how to develop this
project into a profitable tourist destination and product? What are the potentials of the
place and which obstacles will have to be faced in order to successfully develop it?
The Siljan Ring structure (Meteorum, 2014)
Tripped bedrock (Meteorum, 2014)
Due to its geographical position, the geopark Meteorum will face a seasonality problem.
Climatic factors such as low temperatures, a lack of sunlight and snowfall during the
winter and parts of autumn and spring minimize tourist’s choices for visits (Cuccia and
Rizzo, 2011). Strategies on how to compensate seasonality problems financially should
be designed beforehand. Off seasons cause a less attractive experience for tourists to visit
the area, because the climate makes it more uncomfortable to be outside in nature,
possibly less attractive because the vegetation has lost its colors and moreover requires
diverse safety installations, due to slippery stairs and less visibility (Cuccia and Rizzo,
2011). In order to develop Meteorum into a successful destination, safety for all age
groups is an essential topic, especially considering the climatic differences depending on
the seasons. Inside the geopark a variety of different sites build up the whole of “Siljan
Ring”. Thematic trails, signs and maps tell the story of the site at different locations
(Meteorum, 2014). The size of the ring might negatively affect this in principle
interesting selection of geological sites, as the distance between them might simply be too
far to keep the tourists excitement up.
Another question that arises is how to commodify a nature product. In Sweden “The
Right of Public Access” allows anyone to enter any part of the forest. This right is widely
accepted and appreciated throughout Sweden (Fredman & Sandell, 2010). Nevertheless,
how should money be made out of natural sites then, that anyone can access for free and
that are already equipped with signs and maps (even though not yet in english)? One
important issue to consider is that tourists today look for more than a nice attraction to
look at. They want to experience an attraction, be part of it, get driven away and touched
by its story (Jaafar, Nordin, Abdullah & Marzuki 2014). Therefore, the strength of the
geopark Meteorum could be in its visitor service care and in its story. Digital guides
could represent the unique character of the destination and therewith educate and
entertain visitors at low cost and expenditure (Bohlin and Brandt, 2014). This type of
guidance would include a small fee, contributing to the project and still making it
possible for the visitor to explore the site individually, only choosing the spots of the
geopark that the visitor personally wants to see. Tour guides however, offer a more lively
experience, leaving the possibility to ask questions and creating a vivid and catchy story.
The story is, from my point of view, the crucial part in the development of the geopark
Meteorum. It is necessary to design a concept that leads through the experience
Meteorum like a red threat. Luckily, this story doesn’t need to be made up. The massive
meteorite crash comprises high potential to capture the visitor’s attention on an emotional
level. This story just needs to be embroidered in the right way. To begin with, each tour
could start in Meteorum museum, where the meteorite crash should be visualized in a
dramatic movie. With the interest created, the tourists then could continue to the different
sites. The meteorite crash, as the exciting asset of the Siljan Ring, should be found
throughout the visitor’s geopark experience, also in a catchy slogan. This internationally
exceptional meteorite happening could then also expand the market for a geopark that at
first sight seems considerably low. Besides school and university classes with a focus on
geography and geology, other off-topic visitors could be attracted by the
preternaturalness and rarity of this phenomenum.
Meteorite strike (Meteorum, 2014)
On a nowadays increasingly competitive market, the attraction must be managed
effectively. Management plans and objectives developed by both, experts and locals,
involving several stakeholders, promise a successful achievement of the project (Leask,
2010; Albrecht, 2014). An important first step is involving and especially informing local
residents about the geologic history of their home and what is currently planned for
establishing a geopark on the spot. Experts from Meteorum explained during a study visit
on the site (2014) that they see a thread in the current state. This local awareness and
involvement would backfire into an authentic tourist experience, where also the locals
live and feel the “touch of the universe”. In addition, the cooperation with other and for
instance similar geoparks might be beneficial for Meteorum. While creating a financial
Master Plan to possibly attract governmental and private funds, comparable examples
could help to generate an easily interpreted graphic image of the project. On top of that, a
continuous cooperation with the surrounding universities could sustain further research
and improvement.
All in all, several strengths and threads could be discovered. If the experts at Meteorum
succeed designing effective management tools and strategies, creating a memorable
meteorite experience for the visitors, the project could definitely be developed into a
profitable tourist destination. However, many obstacles still need to be worked on and it
will take dedication and creativity to succeed in the long run.
Written by Laura Berens
References
Albrecht, J.N. (2014) Micro-mobility patterns and service blueprints as foundations for
visitor management planning. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 22(7), pp. 1052–1070.
Bohlin, M. and Brandt, D. (2014) Creating tourist experiences by interpreting places
using digital guides. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 9(1), pp. 1–17.
Cuccia, T. & Rizzo, I. (2011) Tourism seasonality in cultural destinations: Empirical
evidence from Sicily. Tourism management, 32(3), pp. 589-595.
Farsani, N.T., Coelho, C. & Costa, C. (2011) Geotourism and geoparks as novel
strategies for socio-economic development in rural areas, International Journal of
Tourism Research, 13(1), pp.
68-81.
Fredman, P. & Sandell, K. (2010) The Right of Public Access - Opportunity or Obstacle
for Nature Tourism in Sweden? Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, 10(3),
pp. 291-309.
Jaafar, M., Nordin, A., Abdullah, S. & Marzuki, A. (2014) Geopark Ecotourism Product
Development: A Study on Tourist Differences. Asian Social Science, 10(11), pp. 42-55.
Leask, A. (2010) Progress in visitor attraction research: towards more effective
management, Tourism management, 31(2), pp. 155-166.
Meteorum (2014) Meteorum – Touch the Universe. [Online] Available from:
http://meteorum.se/wp-content/upload...der_eng_K3.pdf [Accessed 01/12/2014].