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Article

Australian Geotourism Discovery Platform: A Sustainable and User-Friendly Platform for Accessible Exploration of Geosites, Geotrails, Cultural, and Mining Heritage Sites

by
Mark A. Williams
1,*,
Xinyuan Wang
1,
Melinda T. McHenry
1 and
Angus M. Robinson
2
1
School of Geography, Planning, and Spatial Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
2
Australian Geoscience Council Inc., Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2024, 16(13), 5482; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16135482
Submission received: 29 April 2024 / Revised: 18 June 2024 / Accepted: 24 June 2024 / Published: 27 June 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geodiversity, Geoheritage and Sustainability)
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Abstract

:
Geotourism focuses on an areas’ geodiversity and cultural landscape to provide visitor engagement, learning, and enjoyment. Geotourism is pivotal in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as recognised by the United Nations. This study examines the development of the Australian Geotourism Discovery Portal (AGDP) and its role in promoting sustainable geotourism, aligned with Australia’s National Geotourism Strategy strategic goals, and in providing a framework for the development of digital platforms for geotourism. The AGDP’s development was guided by a deductive development approach to examine the link between Geographical Information Technologies (GITs) and SDGs and subsequently applying findings to a stakeholder-led design process aligned with the needs of identified putative user groups. With a focus on two key user groups, the ‘Grey Nomads’ and ‘Students & Educators’, we used our deductive approach to iteratively test and refine the platform’s development based on the key attributes and preferences of these user groups for different accessibility, educational, and experiential needs. The AGDP employed ESRI ArcGIS Hub Web-GIS technology to promote geosites, geotrails, mining sites, indigenous cultural heritage sites, and GeoRegions in Australia. The implementation of the AGDP highlighted the potential to enhance public understanding of Australia’s natural and cultural heritage and the significant opportunity to leverage emerging GITs in maintaining the sustainable development initiatives of the geotourism sector. The framework established provides a replicable model that can be adapted and applied to other regions around the world, offering a tool and process development that can be used in a range of stakeholder- and community-led sustainable development initiatives.

1. Introduction

Geotourism, a concept declared by UNESCO as pivotal in achieving several of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is defined as “tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place, encompassing its geology, environment, heritage, aesthetics, culture, and the well-being of its residents” [1]. Innovations in technology, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and Geographic Information Systems (GISs), have the potential to enhance geotourism. These technologies, grouped under the nomenclature of Geographical Information Technologies (GITs) [2], also offer the potential to revolutionise the tourism industry, by expanding the ways in which destinations are experienced and promoted. Consequently, GIT tools are useful for enhancing geotourism and also for deepening the appreciation of the geodiversity, cultural heritage of Indigenous people, and post-European settlements [3,4]. Digital platforms, often built on a Web-GIS, have been instrumental in promoting sustainable geotourism practices around the world [3,5,6]. With growing environmental awareness, these technologies support efforts to minimise the ecological footprint and negative socio-cultural impacts of tourism and promote environmentally responsible destinations. They also foster collaborative research practices underpinning geotourism, as encouraged by UNESCO’s recommendation on Open Science [7].
The definition of geotourism, initially introduced by the US National Geographic Society and later refined through the Arouca Declaration [8], has been further adapted by the Geological Society of Australia (GSA) to suit the Australian context. The GSA describes geotourism as “sustainable tourism focusing on an areas’ geology and landscape to provide visitor engagement, learning, and enjoyment” [9]. Irrespective of the definition used, the essential elements of geotourism encompass nature and culture within the context of place and landscape. They promote local character and identity and lend themselves to the pragmatic and sustainable use of the environments in which experiences are established and/or interpreted.
Geographic Information Technologies are increasingly essential tools for decision-making in land-use planning and for conceptualising and constructing in-field geotourism experiences [2]. For example, research indicates that digitalisation in geotourism has expanded into areas such as smart tourism, where technology enhances tourist experiences through personalisation and convenience [10,11]. This can range from AI-driven recommendation systems to virtual reality experiences, allowing potential tourists to explore destinations prior to, or instead of, an in-person visit [12], expanding the range of accessibility options to a range of new audiences. The backbone of the main data that are required to meet the wide range of needs of geotourism is a digital platform containing a database of sites and destinations for the geotourist. Moreover, the use of GIT for sustainable development represents a significant improvement over former methods, such as geosite inventorying using mobile technology and web-GIS platforms, by providing more efficient, accurate, and accessible ways to manage and promote geotourism sites [13].
A significant challenge in tourism is managing the impacts of tourists visiting numerous locations, which can lead to environmental degradation and unsustainable practices. Providing easy access to a compendium of information about geotourism destinations that adhere to sustainability principles is crucial in promoting responsible geotourism. A digital platform can greatly assist in this effort by helping travellers to discover natural sites and cultural heritage sites through the dissemination of information about destinations and conservation efforts [5]. It can also facilitate digital preservation [14], real-time disaster response through environmental monitoring [15,16], and resource management [17].
A digital platform is an integrated system that enables interactions between user groups to carry out defined tasks, mediated through a chosen technology [18]. Digital platforms may incorporate a web-GIS technology to house spatial and nonspatial datasets, as well as applications, making them pivotal in fields such as tourism, education, and environmental management [19]. Web-GIS platforms can employ proprietary technologies such as ESRI’s (Redlands, California) ArcGIS Online or Enterprise Server, Mapbox and Carto, or open-source technologies that are made free of cost through the FOSS (free and open-source software) initiative, such as Map Server, QGIS Server, and GeoServer. The general architecture of a web-GIS digital platform consists of a client web browser (desktop, mobile), a web server (on-premises, cloud-based, managed), which responds to requests, and a GIS server (proprietary or FOSS) that handles data storage and management, mapping services, spatial analysis, and editing services [20].
Presently, there is no freely accessible, comprehensive, expert-led database in Australia that contains a curated suite of spatial information for geotourism planning (i.e., for use by professionals and stakeholders ‘behind the scenes’) and the promotion of sustainably managed places or practises (i.e., to prospective visitors and to the general public). The establishment of a platform that effectively promotes and shares information about these geotourism sites is critical for the sustainable development and management of significant places, as well as to raise awareness of geotourism as a sustainable opportunity for stakeholders and putative geotourists. Examples from other regions show the success of digital platforms such as the World Tourism Organisation’s Tourism for SDGs, which has contributed to the SDGs by enhancing data collection, facilitating informed decision-making, optimising resource allocation, and fostering community engagement, leading to improved environmental sustainability, economic growth, and social inclusiveness in tourism sectors worldwide [21,22,23,24].
The implementation of a digital platform is not necessarily an example of sustainable development in and of itself. The development of a digital platform for geotourism purposes, however, could in fact aid in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals because of the following reasons:
(a)
Geotourism itself is a sustainable form of tourism that seeks to be minimally-impactful [10,25,26,27,28,29].
(b)
Geotourism enterprise is designed to support the educational, economic, and wellbeing goals of residents [30,31,32,33,34,35].
(c)
Geotourism promotes the broadest range of values and mechanisms for interpretability and accessibility [36,37,38,39,40,41].
Hence, with appropriately scoped datasets that are derived from the sustainability-aligned geotourism community, both the inputs into a web digital platform, and the outcomes—a comprehensive repository accessible to the community about geotourism places and values—represent improved sustainability outcomes across the entire lifecycle of a geotourism digital platform.
This study focuses on the design and implementation of the Australian Geotourism Discovery Portal (AGDP) in promoting natural and cultural heritage values within Australia. It provides an in-depth examination of the AGDP, describing the workflow stages so that these can be repeated by others, and outlines the input (data and resources) and output (expected results) assumptions that improve its usage as a tool to enhance sustainable development and the achievement of the SDGs in Australia. Most importantly, we demonstrate that consideration of UN’s SDGs in the pre-development stage and post-production can enhance opportunities for sustainable and participatory digital geotourism development.
Our objectives are as follows:
  • Use deductive reasoning approaches to examine the potential link between GIT and sustainability goals to inform the design and development of a digital platform used in geotourism development in Australia.
  • Show a replicable workflow for the technical development of the Australian Geotourism Discovery Portal (AGDP) for the purpose of promoting sustainable Geotourism.

2. Materials and Methods

We employed a deductive method, which involved a review of the literature to align the GIT tools with the SDGs. This considered how GIT could support sustainable geotourism before embarking on the stakeholder co-design and the development of the AGDP, ensuring that the platform would meet the diverse needs of its users.

2.1. Digital Platform Co-Design with Stakeholders and Users of the AGDP

In order to maximise opportunities for sustainable development, the AGDP was co-designed with the users of the digital platform to ensure that the requirements and specifications were driven by stakeholder outcomes. The concept behind the AGDP was for the digital platform to function as “discovery portal” for geotourism experiences, serving as a comprehensive index cataloguing Australia’s GeoRegions (a defined area of special natural and cultural heritage for exploring, assessing, and seeking support for any future geopark development [42]), geotrails, geosites, and cultural landscapes (in Australia, places of mining heritage and First Nations’ sites of significance are popular cultural landscapes). The initial high-level requirements of the AGDP included a user-friendly client interface, a cost-effective and sustainable hosting arrangement, secure data sharing mechanisms, ensuring accessibility across multiple device types, and the flexibility to adapt to various user needs and technological advances.
The users of the AGDP were classified into two groups.
  • Collaborators: Members of the Australian working groups associated with the implementation of a ‘National Geotourism Strategy’, who require a digital platform to collaborate and store data in support of their strategic objectives.
  • The National Geotourism Strategy, now rebranded as Geotourism Australia, was launched by the Australian Geoscience Council and included seven strategic objectives, each managed by a dedicated working group. Four of these working groups were stakeholders in the design and delivery of the AGDP, focusing on the responsible development, identification, creation, and promotion of geotouristic values, places, and experiences through GeoRegions, geotrails, geoheritage sites suitable for geotourism, and Cultural landscapes. The remaining three working groups contributed to the implementation and promotion of the AGDP, specifically addressing the interpretation and dissemination of geotourism concepts and sustainable development, including digital tools for geotourism, international relations, and geoeducation [43].
2.
Geotourists: public users who will utilise the data housed on the platform to enhance their tourism experience.
The role of the collaborators was to inform the design process of digital platform construction and the database schema (Section 2.3.1, below) so that the pre-devised and optimised lists of places and features on the platform represented the best representation of the sustainable geotourism enterprise. This avoided the unintentional development of criteria fields that would unintentionally promote unsustainable geotourism practices and visitations. Opportunities for improvements in sustainability for users (collaborators and end-user prospective geotourists) via the process of developing a digital platform were selected in each phase. Extensive previous research conducted to profile prospective Australian geotourists based on socio-demographic characteristics, travel habits, attitudes, and behaviours toward nature [44,45,46] revealed three primary user personas: ‘geo-savvys’, individuals who are well-educated and environmentally conscious; ‘urban sophisticates’, affluent individuals focused on the cultural and social aspects of tourism; and ‘good citizens’, an older demographic that is socially conscious [45]. For the AGDP, we adopted a more refined suite of personas for our geotourist end-user group, as described by the collaborators [47], to cover the broadest possible range of geotourism experiences offered on the AGDP. These personas were developed by considering factors such as the age, education, budgetary constraints, expectations, goals, needs, technological experience, personality type, interests, and traits of geotourists and summarised as International Geotourists, Grey Nomads, Eco Tourists, Outback or Wilderness Adventurers, Holidaymakers, and Students and Educators (Table 1).

2.2. Technology for the AGDP Digital Platform

The technology for developing the digital platform was selected only after thoroughly considering the entire software development cycle, ensuring that the chosen technologies and tools would adequately meet the user requirements that inform every phase—from design and implementation to testing. The deductive reasoning approach from Section 2.1, in addition to stakeholder inputs and end-user profiles, was utilised to consider factors such as computer architecture, database management systems, frameworks for graphical user interfaces, and deployment strategies. These considerations were vital to ensure sustainability, accessibility, resilience to changes, and the reusability of the digital platform [48].
ESRI’s (Redlands, California) ArcGIS Hub was chosen as the technology for the AGDP digital platform due to its numerous advantages over open-source alternatives such as MapServer and GeoServer. Key benefits include its user-friendly interface, the no-code application builder, seamless integration with the ESRI (Redlands, California) ecosystem, and comprehensive cloud-based capabilities. Research has indicated that ArcGIS Hub is an effective tool in mapping and communicating geoheritage and cultural landscapes [5,49,50]. It simplifies the creation and management of spatial datasets, supports real-time updates, and enhances public engagement and collaboration through the integration of interactive maps, custom applications for editing data, StoryMaps, and multimedia content. Additionally, this technology was chosen for its feasibility to develop a prototype under an ESRI (Redlands, California) educational license provided by the University of Tasmania, offering a cost-effective way to leverage ArcGIS Hub’s capabilities that will allow for free use by Australian end users. This strategic choice avoids the significant initial investment typically associated with such projects, ensuring the platform’s sustainability until its transition to a permanent hosting solution.

2.3. Development Process

To facilitate the development of a digital platform that meets the high-level requirements of the AGDP using ArcGIS Hub as a technological solution, a structured four-stage process was adopted: investigation and design, development and testing, evaluation and maintenance, and transition to public release (Figure 1).

2.3.1. Stage 1: Investigation and Design

The investigation and design stage involved the collection of information requirements through consultation with the collaborators, the development of a database schema, the creation of a sitemap, and subsequently the preparation of wireframes for each page of the AGDP interface. Before developing the database schema, it was essential to gather the information required to be stored and displayed by AGDP. This collaborative effort involved scoping out the data types, the attributes of each data type, and the relationships between data types, including any data integrity and validation rules, to ensure that the user can interact with the data in an effective manner, and that the appropriate level of data is displayed through different levels of access to protect sensitive information and maintain data quality.
For the AGDP, the database schema was co-designed in consultation with the collaborators to capture the attributes of various data types and understand the relationships between data types, including GeoRegions [51], geosites [52], geotrails [53], mining sites [54], and cultural heritage sites [55], using ESRI (Redlands, California) ArcGIS Pro 3.2.2 and ArcGIS Online (Figure 2). This schema needed to be flexible enough to meet the ongoing needs of both the collaborators and geotourist personas, with built-in mechanisms to ensure data integrity throughout the data creation and maintenance process. It included domains for specific attributes, such as state or territory, GeoRegion, and geosite type, to provide a predefined list of data values during data entry [56]. Field lengths and aliases were specified for each attribute to ensure storage efficiency and enhance clarity. Additionally, some attributes were set to be displayed as text in pop-up windows, others as icons, while all remaining fields were to be hidden and reserved for system or data management purposes.
Following the design of the database schema, the client-side components of the AGDP—namely webpages and web applications—and their interconnections were explored through a site map, providing a structured model that represents the hierarchy of the elements of the AGDP, serving as a planning tool for website design and development. For the AGDP, the hierarchical structure is centred around the landing page (hereafter referred to as the ‘Home page’), featuring eight tabs (or linkages) for state or territory pages, a tab for the Explore Maps web application (hereafter referred to as ‘web app’), and another for an About Us page (Figure 3). All pages share consistent branding with common header and footer sections, ensuring a cohesive and high-level user experience. The web app is the central component of the AGDP, presenting an interactive geotourism map where users can browse information about the various data types and interact with the data using map controls including zoom, layer visibility, and search functionality.
The wireframes for each page of the AGDP were constructed, adhering to best practices in web design to ensure an optimal user experience through a user-friendly and contemporary website interface [57]. These wireframes were refined through a consultative process, leading to the final AGDP design before development. A wireframe for the Home page and a wireframe that could be adopted for all states or territories were developed. The Home page covers the national level content, and the state or territory pages display content relevant for each jurisdiction. The web app wireframe featured a more complex design, driven by an interactive map that allows users to search, navigate, and look up the various data types; geosites, geotrails, mining sites, and cultural heritage sites, or GeoRegions. The data types were designed to be displayed using effective symbology, clustering symbols to avoid map clutter. This design displays a group symbol at smaller scales, with the number of clustered features indicated on the symbol. Additionally, a wireframe was designed for a pop-up window for a selected data feature, showing the details of the feature, including the name, description, jurisdiction, image etc.

2.3.2. Stage 2: Development and Testing

The development and testing stage involved setting up and configuring the AGDP ArcGIS Hub site (hereafter referred to as ‘Hub site’), releasing an alpha version of the AGDP for testing, and producing the technical documentation of the digital platform. During this phase, a development Hub site was established to develop a prototype based on the finalised design, which included creating static Hub webpages, or ‘mock-ups’, and the development of the web app to serve as the main interface for the data features. The development of the Hub site was guided by the site map and the wireframes from the design stage, serving as a blueprint, outlining the layout and functionality of each webpage within the Hub site (Figure 4A,B). The Hub site also required the configuration of the structural components, such as the header, footer, and navigation bar, and these were configured using an established colour scheme, logos, and style elements across all pages, creating a cohesive and recognisable appearance.
The development of the web app used a minimalist design, configured with a web map, hosted feature layers for the various data types, and an Open Street Map (OSM) basemap. The geosites, cultural heritage sites, and mining sites were displayed with distinct point symbols, set up with clustering symbology to improve user experience. Geotrails were represented using line symbols, and GeoRegions were depicted using polygons. The pop-up panel for each feature in the web app varied, but it generally included the name, a short description, state or territory, access details, and country, along with images to emphasise simplicity and enhance user satisfaction. Many attributes were condensed into icons i.e., tourist information, facilities, and hazards, designed to reduce clutter.
Following development, an alpha version of the AGDP was released to a small, experienced group of collaborators to test the platform and report defects and deficiencies. To facilitate the iterative development process, preliminary content was created as placeholders for the mock-up Hub pages to give the collaborators an indication of the site’s prospective user experience. Test datasets were provided to conduct system testing and verified that all specifications and requirements were met. Throughout the development and testing phases, technical documentation was created to capture the system configuration for future maintenance and releases. This documentation included a data dictionary, metadata repository (Figure 4C), a system specification, and data governance guidelines to ensure consistency and continuity in database use and maintenance over time.

2.3.3. Stage 3: Evaluation and Maintenance

The evaluation and maintenance stage of the AGDP included training the collaborators, deploying a beta version for comprehensive testing, and continuously updating the software with enhancements and new functionalities. Training sessions and materials were provided to an expanded group of collaborators to familiarise them with the AGDP’s features and functionalities, particularly highlighting any changes introduced in the updates or upgrades from the alpha version. Additionally, specialised training focused on the data ingestion workflow, tailored according to the defined roles of the data editors and reviewers, was conducted to ensure rigorous testing and evaluation of the AGDP.
The beta version of the AGDP was released to this wider group of collaborators for user acceptance testing (UAT). This step was crucial for validating the software under normal operating conditions to detect and resolve any potential issues. The UAT involved rigorous testing by users to verify that the software meets all the specified functional and user requirements and to ensure that it performed reliably.

2.3.4. Stage 4: Transition to Public Release

The transition from a beta version to public release was the final phase in the software development lifecycle of the AGDP. This stage involved transforming the prototype into a version suitable for widespread public use. It encompassed the ingestion of a minimum viable dataset, migrating the prototype environment to a long-term sustainable hosting environment, and subsequently releasing the production version to the public. The initial high-level requirements for the AGDP included a sustainable hosting arrangement in terms of scalability, reliability, security, cost, and compliance with relevant laws and regulations. The hosting environment for the public release needed to be robust enough to manage peak loads, secure enough to protect data integrity and privacy, and managed by a partner organisation equipped with the appropriate resources to update and expand the AGDP’s user base. This approach was necessary to avoid the pitfalls that have rendered many Web-GIS systems unsustainable and obsolete [15].

2.4. Evaluation of Sustainability Alignment

Following the development of the AGDP, a reflective process was undertaken to evaluate the alignment of the AGDP with sustainable geotourism practices. This involved a qualitative analysis of how the platform’s intent, design and implementation contribute to SDGs. This reflection included the evaluation of the AGDP from the stakeholders’ and end-users’ perspectives, providing insights gained into the effectiveness of the platform’s features in supporting sustainable geotourism.

3. Results

The initial analysis of alignment of geotourism goals with GIT showed that these technologies are crucial not only for achieving the strategic objectives of the stakeholder user groups but also for accommodating the expectations of different geotourist groups for a range of technology-enhanced tourism experiences, while simultaneously increasing accessibility and enhancing experiences for traditional tourists. Technologies have been shown to promote economic well-being through poverty alleviation and increased accessibility, and thus well-being and health were promoted (Figure 5).
These findings influenced the design of the platform through specific design and data protocols. Only sites that are safe, accessible, and robust enough to accept tourists were promoted. The information on the platform is presented in multiple ways to cater for different audiences, and the needs of end users from across the socio-demographic spectrum have been accommodated. Knowledge from the stakeholders’ analysis and sustainability mapping was employed in a few use cases for the geotourist user personas, such as ‘Grey Nomads’ and ‘Students and Educators’. The Grey Nomads represent retired travellers, who often have time for longer journeys when visiting the well-known destinations [47]. This user persona is open to learning about the geology of the landscape and understanding the culture of places. The Grey Nomads often need well-defined journeys with clear navigation and mobile access to meet their needs of travelling hassle-free, with low stress. This user persona may not be technology savvy, so the AGDP needed to be user-friendly and easy to navigate, providing links to information for each state or territory. To provide the appropriate experience for the Grey Nomads, the AGDP was designed to provide geotourism and cultural information, as well as links to more information through a web app (Figure 6).
Meanwhile, the users fitting the persona of ‘Students and Educators’, were deemed to be key users of geotourism sites and geotrails. The Educators use geoscience and cultural information to educate those learning about earth science and geodiversity, especially as they relate to the evolution and contemporary land use and the context of locations across Australia [45]. High engagement using innovative technologies is often needed for this user group to inspire students and help applied learning. Hence, the AGDP was designed to be an engaging platform, requiring users to navigate the map and select features for more information, including multimedia such as videos and 3D models, and potential use of immersive in-class experiences using VR and AR technology. Access and safety information are required for this user persona, and they also need clear instructions on navigation and quality interpretative content [47]. Therefore, the AGDP needed to display site access and safety information, as well as quality educational content, such as geological periods, key geological features, geosite type and value, existing flora and fauna along the geotrails, as well as indigenous and non-indigenous culture for students and educators to achieve better educational outcomes.
With the needs of users from the persona analysis in mind, the client-side web interface of the AGDP was constructed so that it featured a header section with a navigation bar linking to all hub pages and social media platforms, as well as a footer that included branding and contact information to maximise educational opportunities and collaboration for site users. It featured a range of static and dynamic content. The Home page landing section featured Uluru, one of Australia’s most recognisable natural landmarks, and a significant First Nations cultural site (IUCN II, meeting natural and cultural value criteria), an acknowledgment of the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country and Place, in order to highlight the significance of culture and nature to visitors and the distinctiveness of Australia.
The central part of the Home page was designed to feature text and media, Story Maps, and linked external content, such as social media feeds, designed to engage geotourism users in the AGDP, and accommodate different information, literacy, and accessibility needs. The Hub pages for each state or territory were designed to follow the same structure as the Home page, but with content tailored for each jurisdiction (Figure 7), promoting territory, regional identity, and local travel, to reduce environmental footprint.
To maximise engagement and allow access on a range of devices, we developed an ‘Explore Maps’ page as the heart of the AGDP platform. The page was a full-width web application enabling interaction with the AGDP dataset from the stakeholder users, including GeoRegions, geotrails, geosites, cultural heritage sites, and mining sites. Distinct symbology was used to represent each feature type, and the symbols were automatically grouped based on clustered features. This interface included a search box for users to locate features by address or place and standard map tools, such as orientation and zoom. It also featured a locate tool for finding the current location (particularly useful on mobile browsers) and a home button, directing users back to the default map view. Additionally, the map user interface included widgets such as a basemap gallery for changing the basemap and a scale bar for educated user groups wishing to explore or integrate into mapping projects. This combination of mapping tools, symbology, written text, and display options was designed to enable a broad range of users to engage with the features and understand the information.
The users of the portal could also encounter a pop-up window showing the information of the selected feature or place, which was customised to dynamically change based upon selection. The pop-up window included up to two pictures of each feature, which could be clicked on for full resolution images, icons for tourist information, facilities, and hazards, as well as acknowledgements of data sources and time stamps for data currency. An icon legend was available as a hyperlink in the pop-up window to clarify it for novice users and those relying on image descriptors due to visual impairments. We also improved user friendliness when novice users selected ‘clustered’ features, whereby the pop-up window displayed a list of features in the cluster, instead of just one. This enables prospective tourists to stay in one region for longer, saving resources such as fuel by not having to travel further in search of more places to go. Additional user experiences and information resources were added where available, such as ESRI (Redlands, California) Story Map pages and 3D models. The models had additional annotations that provided interpretative information about the feature or site which was used to educate the user interacting with the model (Figure 8).
Following the completion of the portal and the analysis of Australian case studies, the AGDP revealed that a number of SDGs were being met through the support of geotourism and the generation of the portal (Table 2). These impacts were, again, strong in terms of well-being and poverty alleviation, as well as environmental impacts and climate.

4. Discussion

This study presents a framework for a digital platform that supports sustainable geotourism and demonstrates how the AGDP digital platform has contributed to the SDGs at a national level and, more broadly, through international networks and collaboration. The framework adopts a deductive approach by incorporating examples of how GIT tools have been used to support sustainable tourism and applying these principles to the platform’s stakeholder-led design and development. This approach, though novel for platform design, has been effectively demonstrated in practical applications in geoconservation and geotourism. Notable examples of a similar deductive approach include the selection of geomorphosites [60], aligning the sustainable values of geosites with systems thinking principles [61], incorporating diverse perspectives in geoconservation efforts [62], and integrating educational, recreational, and sustainability goals in the assessment of geoheritage and geotourism resources [63].
The primary purpose of the AGDP is to support the strategic goals of the National Geotourism Strategy by providing a spatial information platform that facilitates the planning and promotion of responsible geotourism in Australia. This digital platform is designed to curate geosites, geotrails, mining sites, cultural heritage sites, and GeoRegions from various sources and stakeholders across a large geographic area that spans all states and territories of Australia, despite differing data standards and availability. The AGDP is critical for the curation of geotourism data across all these strategic goals, enabling the promotion of geotourism, the development of new geotrails, and the enhancement of digital information access for geotourists.
Although the AGDP is a national initiative, it also directly supports the UN SDGs both within Australia and regionally through partnerships with other countries in the Asia–Pacific Region, such as Indonesia. By promoting GeoRegions (and potential geopark nominations), geotrails, as well as other areas deemed suitable for geotourism, the AGDP enhances local entrepreneurship and job creation (SDG 1) and provides the potential for the marketing of local geofoods, boosting demand and strengthening agricultural markets (SDG 2). The AGDP also facilitates more active tourism by improving access to geotourism information, benefiting those with varied physical abilities (SDG 3), and enriches educational tourism through extensive educational content (SDG 4). The portal’s data analytics support smarter infrastructure planning and resilient industry practices (SDG 9), and its educational resources on climate impacts foster greater environmental stewardship (SDG 13). Furthermore, the AGDP promotes sustainable land use within geotourism sites (SDG 15) and enhances collaboration through partnerships with industries such as the National Parks system and international networks (SDG 17).
Whilst the establishment of the AGDP does substantially enable the implementation of national priorities for geotourism in Australia as a whole, enhancing the development of geotourism in line with all of the SDGs, there are a number of outstanding examples where a direct connection is being or can be made with quite specific SDGs (Table 2).
The AGDP provides an unprecedented platform for promoting geotourism sites and facilitating project implementation through a web mapping interface that covers all states and territories in Australia. This enables engagement with a wide community, facilitates further geotourism projects in Australia, and provides a framework for other countries and regions to develop their own geotourism digital platforms. Furthermore, the framework meets the stakeholders’ goals and supports the UN’s SDGs by facilitating digital transformation in the geotourism industry. By integrating geosites, geotrails, mining sites, and cultural heritage sites and by promoting the development of GeoRegions (within which geopark nominations may emerge), the AGDP offers interactive and educational content that fosters a deeper appreciation and understanding of Australia’s natural and cultural heritage.

5. Conclusions: The AGDP, GIT, and Future of Sustainable Geotourism Development in Australia

The development of the AGDP is a substantial and complex project, relying heavily on the goodwill and voluntary contributions of numerous professional geoscientists. The intricate nature of the project resulted in its duration, extending well beyond the initial time estimate, spanning multiple years due to challenges in design, setup, testing, training, and evaluation. This deviation from the planned timeline highlights the difficulties in creating a platform that satisfies the varied needs of different stakeholders, particularly in terms of data requirements and interface design. The platform needs to accommodate a broad spectrum of users—from collaborators to geotourists—with varying levels of data curation skills and ensure compatibility across multiple devices, adding to the developmental hurdles. To ensure effective uptake by geotourists, the platform required establishing a ‘seed dataset’ to engage early users and encourage broad adoption of the digital platform. This minimum viable dataset must include key geosites, geotrails, mining sites, and cultural heritage sites with uniform coverage across Australian jurisdictions to demonstrate value and encourage repeat visits. However, achieving this baseline content requires overcoming data limitations and technical resourcing within considerable budgetary constraints, ensuring it is compelling and useful, and signalling the promise of more and better content to come.
In addition to addressing the challenges and limitations encountered during the initial development of the AGDP, there are recommendations for future development. First, future versions of the AGDP should continue the iterative development approach, incorporating regular updates to refine functionalities and respond to user feedback. Engaging web application and design professionals in this process would help expedite improvements and enhance both the usability and aesthetic appeal of the platform. Additionally, the recruitment of specialised personnel with GIS expertise is crucial. Experienced data curators could significantly improve the accuracy and efficiency of the data ingestion process, ensuring the provision of high-quality content. This project would need to be appropriately funded, relying less on voluntary effort, and requiring national investment into the platform. Moreover, maintaining comprehensive, versioned documentation of the development process and various design iterations is invaluable for continuous improvements and to facilitate future studies. Lastly, exploring alternative hosting environments beyond ArcGIS Hub may provide greater control over the platform’s functionalities and scalability, further advancing the platform’s effectiveness and reach. However, this will likely come at the cost of increased implementation complexity.
Building on the existing foundation of the AGDP, there is a significant opportunity to leverage a national digital dataset and platform to develop emerging GIT tools, such as VR and AR, to enhance geotourism experiences. The expansion into these technologies could transform how AGDP data are visualised and interacted with, creating immersive experiences that can attract and engage a broader audience, including digital natives in Australia and overseas markets. This digital approach not only aims to enhance the appeal of geotourism but also supports educational initiatives by providing interactive, lifelike experiences of natural and cultural heritage. The deployment of these emerging technologies does not come without challenges and requires careful consideration of data integration and user interface design to ensure seamless and intuitive user experiences. As such, these advancements could serve as powerful tools in furthering the AGDP capabilities to promote geotourism while supporting stakeholder objectives and the UN SDGs.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, M.A.W.; methodology, M.A.W. and X.W.; software, M.A.W. and X.W.; validation, M.A.W. and X.W.; investigation, M.A.W.; resources, M.A.W.; data curation, M.A.W. and X.W.; writing—original draft preparation, M.A.W., X.W., M.T.M. and A.M.R.; writing—review and editing, M.A.W., M.T.M., A.M.R. and X.W.; visualization, M.A.W. and X.W.; supervision, M.T.M.; project administration, M.A.W.; funding acquisition, M.A.W. and A.M.R. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

Funding for this study was provided by The Australian Geoscience Council and the Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship for M.A.W.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

The data used have already been mentioned in the article.

Acknowledgments

Stakeholders Jon Hronsky, Jason Bradbury, David Robson, Guy Fleming, Trisha Moriarty, Stephen White, Stewart Watson, Michael Vicary, Ken Moule, Eduardo Sifontes, Peter Mitchell, Haydyn Bromley, Young Ng, Caroline Falkiner, Dennis O’Neill, Cale Angel, and Raiza Sartori provided input into the design, data curation, and testing of the AGDP.

Conflicts of Interest

All authors are volunteer working group members of the National Geotourism Strategy (Geotourism Australia) under the auspices of the Australian Geoscience Council. However, the research was conducted at the University of Tasmania in support of M.A.W.’s Ph.D. Thesis, and there no commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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Figure 1. The development process of the AGDP.
Figure 1. The development process of the AGDP.
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Figure 2. A hierarchical flowchart demonstrating the association between data types in the AGDP database schema.
Figure 2. A hierarchical flowchart demonstrating the association between data types in the AGDP database schema.
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Figure 3. The sitemap of the AGDP, centred around the Home page and the Explore Maps web application.
Figure 3. The sitemap of the AGDP, centred around the Home page and the Explore Maps web application.
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Figure 4. Stage 2 involved the use of wireframes from Stage 1 (A) to configure web applications (B) and create documentation, including metadata records via ArcGIS Hub (C).
Figure 4. Stage 2 involved the use of wireframes from Stage 1 (A) to configure web applications (B) and create documentation, including metadata records via ArcGIS Hub (C).
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Figure 5. Geographic Information Technologies used in satisfying SDG1 [3,4], SDG2 [3], SDG3 [3], SDG4 [3,24,25], SDG5 [3], SDG8 [3,4,26], SDG9 [3], SDG11 [26,27], SDG13 [28], SDG15 [24,27], and SDG17 [3,29]. These insights have guided the development of the Australian Geotourism Discovery Portal, supporting sustainability-focused geotourism stakeholders and prospective Australian geotourists. Stakeholders engage in an iterative process of reflection to ensure the Australian Geotourism Discovery Portal continuously improves and aligns with sustainability goals.
Figure 5. Geographic Information Technologies used in satisfying SDG1 [3,4], SDG2 [3], SDG3 [3], SDG4 [3,24,25], SDG5 [3], SDG8 [3,4,26], SDG9 [3], SDG11 [26,27], SDG13 [28], SDG15 [24,27], and SDG17 [3,29]. These insights have guided the development of the Australian Geotourism Discovery Portal, supporting sustainability-focused geotourism stakeholders and prospective Australian geotourists. Stakeholders engage in an iterative process of reflection to ensure the Australian Geotourism Discovery Portal continuously improves and aligns with sustainability goals.
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Figure 6. The Explore Maps web application as displayed on a mobile device (A), and a desktop (B), illustrating its adaptability for various user personas and devices. The application provides geotourism and cultural information, a clear legend of features, a search box, and pop-up panels for detailed information. Key information includes safety infrastructure, road access, geotrail length, and icons for tourist information, facilities, and hazards. The design ensures compatibility across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices, accommodating the nomadic lifestyle of ‘Grey Nomads’.
Figure 6. The Explore Maps web application as displayed on a mobile device (A), and a desktop (B), illustrating its adaptability for various user personas and devices. The application provides geotourism and cultural information, a clear legend of features, a search box, and pop-up panels for detailed information. Key information includes safety infrastructure, road access, geotrail length, and icons for tourist information, facilities, and hazards. The design ensures compatibility across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices, accommodating the nomadic lifestyle of ‘Grey Nomads’.
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Figure 7. The interface of the AGDP showcasing the implementation of the Home page (A), a state/territory page (B), and the Explore Maps page (C).
Figure 7. The interface of the AGDP showcasing the implementation of the Home page (A), a state/territory page (B), and the Explore Maps page (C).
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Figure 8. The AGDP Explore Maps interface, displaying clustered symbology (A), pop-up window information (B), links to external resources (C), search functionality (D), and search results (E). Figure 8 A shows three geosites in a single symbol, and each geosite can be selected in the cluster pop-up window to display the associated attributes. The first and the second geosites are on kunanyi/Mount Wellington, while the third geosite is the Lost World site on Mount Arthur—all in southern Tasmania, near the city of Hobart. By selecting the kunanyi/Mount Wellington feature in the cluster, the attributes are updated in the pop-up window (B). Three-dimensional models can be embedded in a web viewer such as Sketchfab for easy portability across browsers on multiple device types. The 3D model can be zoomed in and out, panned around, and moved. This example shows a 3D model of the charismatic ‘Organ Pipes’ on kunanyi/Mount Wellington and a Story Map exploring the geodiversity of the Wellington Park (IUCN Category II reserve) [15]. Finally (E), the search functionality is demonstrated for the same geosite (kunanyi/Mount Wellington). Search order commences with the name field of the Geosite feature class and then uses the ArcGIS World Geocoding service to find matches for search terms (C). The selected search result will zoom to the feature of interest, enabling users to toggle the arrow on the pop-up window to view the attributes of the feature (D).
Figure 8. The AGDP Explore Maps interface, displaying clustered symbology (A), pop-up window information (B), links to external resources (C), search functionality (D), and search results (E). Figure 8 A shows three geosites in a single symbol, and each geosite can be selected in the cluster pop-up window to display the associated attributes. The first and the second geosites are on kunanyi/Mount Wellington, while the third geosite is the Lost World site on Mount Arthur—all in southern Tasmania, near the city of Hobart. By selecting the kunanyi/Mount Wellington feature in the cluster, the attributes are updated in the pop-up window (B). Three-dimensional models can be embedded in a web viewer such as Sketchfab for easy portability across browsers on multiple device types. The 3D model can be zoomed in and out, panned around, and moved. This example shows a 3D model of the charismatic ‘Organ Pipes’ on kunanyi/Mount Wellington and a Story Map exploring the geodiversity of the Wellington Park (IUCN Category II reserve) [15]. Finally (E), the search functionality is demonstrated for the same geosite (kunanyi/Mount Wellington). Search order commences with the name field of the Geosite feature class and then uses the ArcGIS World Geocoding service to find matches for search terms (C). The selected search result will zoom to the feature of interest, enabling users to toggle the arrow on the pop-up window to view the attributes of the feature (D).
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Table 1. User personas and their influence on AGDP’s design elements, related SDGs, and benefits.
Table 1. User personas and their influence on AGDP’s design elements, related SDGs, and benefits.
Persona AttributeDesign ElementRelated SDGBenefits for Users
AgeDesign for various age groups by ensuring intuitive navigation and accessibility featuresSDG 10: Reduced InequalitiesEnsures that all age groups can easily use the platform
EducationProviding educational content and interactive learning toolsSDG 4: Quality EducationEducates users about geotourism and geoconservation
Budgetary ConstraintsOffering free access to essential features and affordable premium optionsSDG 1: No PovertyAllows users of all financial backgrounds to benefit from the platform
ExpectationsHigh-quality, reliable data and user-friendly interfacesSDG 12: Responsible Consumption and ProductionBuilds trust and satisfaction among users
GoalsSupporting users’ travel planning and exploration objectivesSDG 8: Decent Work and Economic GrowthHelps users plan and enjoy their geotourism experiences
NeedsEnsuring platform functionality across multiple devices and offline accessSDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and InfrastructureProvides seamless access regardless of location or device
Technological ExperienceDesigning an intuitive interface with tutorials and support for novice usersSDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and InfrastructureEnsures users of all technical skill levels can navigate the platform
Personality TypeCustomising user experience with options for different interaction levels (e.g., social sharing, personal bookmarks)SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and CommunitiesEnhances user satisfaction by catering to different personalities
InterestsHighlighting diverse geotourism attractions and activities based on user preferencesSDG 15: Life on LandEncourages the exploration of a wide range of geotourism sites
Traits of GeotouristsTailoring content and features to specific geotourist traits (e.g., eco-consciousness, adventure-seeking)SDG 13: Climate ActionAligns the platform with the values and interests of various geotourist types
Table 2. Examples of specific alignment of SDGs to the AGDP.
Table 2. Examples of specific alignment of SDGs to the AGDP.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)Contribution of the AGDP to SDGs
1—No povertyDeveloping a large remote outback area of Western Australia, such as the Murchison GeoRegion, enables geotrails to be developed to attract new income sources for impoverished residents in isolated townships, particularly populated by Aboriginal communities.
3—Good health and well-beingIncreased access to digitally enabled geotourism information through the AGDP encourages more active tourism by lowering barriers and providing improved accessibility information for people with varying physical abilities. The recently opened 80 m long Skywalk viewing platform within the Glen Innes Highlands GeoRegion features audio stories and 360 degree drone-captured footage with integrated AR, all accessible by smart phones.
4—Quality educationGeotourism information delivered through the AGDP and partnering interactive web and mobile applications offers extensive educational content on geological processes and Earth’s history, enriching visitor knowledge and supporting educational tourism. Excellent examples of geotrails with digital enhancement are already operational in New South Wales e.g., Port Macquarie Coastal Geotrail, the Newcastle Coastal Geotrail, the Warrumbungle National Park geotrails, and the Mutawintji National Park geotrails, with some of these geotrails proving their worth as educational resources for local school groups.
8—Decent work and economic growthThe AGDP offers the potential to provide information about geotourism sites to facilitate increased visitation to regional areas, thus creating more sustainable employment and economic growth in the tourism sector. It would also encourage further digital technology development using emerging technologies such as VR and AR, assisting in the planning of future Visitor Information Centres, which can incorporate these digital tools into their services.
9—Industry, innovation, and infrastructureData analytics and location preferences gathered from the AGDP offers the potential to lead to smarter infrastructure planning, in support of future regional tourism development. The destination management planning undertaken by the Glen Innes Severn Council in support of the Glen Innes Highlands GeoRegion has already been incorporated within the NSW State Government’s regional economic planning instruments.
11—Sustainable cities and communitiesThe AGDP could provide a platform for enhanced community awareness and participation linking geotourism to sustainability and natural resource conservation, fostering a collaborative approach to environmental stewardship. For example, the ECO Destination Certification program managed by an industry body, Ecotourism Australia, assures travellers that certified destinations are backed by a strong, well-managed commitment to ongoing improvement of sustainable practices and provides high-quality nature-based tourism experiences within the region. The certification is for a region or destination with a clearly defined boundary. It requires one organisation, such as the local council or local tourism organisation, to be responsible for the management of the certification; however, it assesses the entire region’s tourism destination management practices community-wide and involves contribution from various destination stakeholders. The AGC has strong links with Ecotourism Australia, which hosts an aligned Geotourism Forum.
13—Climate actionThe AGDP is a platform that can educate visitors about climate impacts on geosites, fostering a greater understanding of climate actions. For example, the evidence of past climate change both in the geological and cultural heritage records has been recently evaluated in the Ku-ring-gai GeoRegion. In addition, skilful application of drone technology has demonstrated the geomorphic processes that are taking place along the eastern coastal boundary of the GeoRegion and the real and substantive impact on local residential communities. These locations are being identified in the AGDP [58].
17—Partnerships for the goalsThe AGDP can be linked to other industries and sectors in Australia, such as the National Parks system, to enhance collaboration among stakeholders in the geotourism sector. Additionally, the framework for the AGDP could be extended to international partners, such as the Indonesian Geoparks Network and adapted to a global dataset for UNESCO Global Geoparks and World Heritage sites [59].
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Williams, M.A.; Wang, X.; McHenry, M.T.; Robinson, A.M. Australian Geotourism Discovery Platform: A Sustainable and User-Friendly Platform for Accessible Exploration of Geosites, Geotrails, Cultural, and Mining Heritage Sites. Sustainability 2024, 16, 5482. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16135482

AMA Style

Williams MA, Wang X, McHenry MT, Robinson AM. Australian Geotourism Discovery Platform: A Sustainable and User-Friendly Platform for Accessible Exploration of Geosites, Geotrails, Cultural, and Mining Heritage Sites. Sustainability. 2024; 16(13):5482. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16135482

Chicago/Turabian Style

Williams, Mark A., Xinyuan Wang, Melinda T. McHenry, and Angus M. Robinson. 2024. "Australian Geotourism Discovery Platform: A Sustainable and User-Friendly Platform for Accessible Exploration of Geosites, Geotrails, Cultural, and Mining Heritage Sites" Sustainability 16, no. 13: 5482. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16135482

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