The conservation and management of the geo-diversity is an essential element to carry on the path of a green economy, which assists to the construction of a process of socioeconomic sustainable essential development to the human wellbeing. The European policies of conservation and sustainable use of the geodiversity demand to intensify the efforts for its suitable integration and consideration in the sectarian policies, because on this way they will be able to be understood and the links to be reinforced the positive existing links between the conservation of the geological heritage and the economic and social development.
This demand turns out to be specially forced in the tourist sector, one of the most important as for its economic impact to European level, contributing to the gross domestic product (GDP) and to the employment because of 5 % and 5,2 %, respectively, of the active population. The geo-diversity is increasingly one of the factors that motivate the trips, because of the variety of geological landscapes and its well-preserved ecosystems acts like basic attraction of the tourist destinations. These destinations have met reinforced with the creation of the Network of European Geo-parks.
It pretends, through an equipment of European work, to recognize and to validate two new units of competition to European level that they give a answer to the demand of creation and impulse of products of geological tourism accredited by its sustainability in relation to the geo-diversity, and that provide to the tourist singular experiences related to the relevancy and exclusivity of the geological heritage.
These two new units of competition would be fitted inside 3 professional families in 4 professional qualifications recognized by the Institute of the Qualifications (INCUAL):
1) Guides for itineraries of fall and a half mountain;
2) Guide of speleological;
3) Guide of tourists and visitors;
4) Interpretation and environmental education.
In this way, the project expects to develop a series of innovative products based on two units of competition:
1. To interpret the geological heritage and its values to tourists and visitors of European Geo-parks.
2. To give services of accompaniment and assistance to tourists and visitorsand to design itineraries geotouristic across the places of geologicalinterest (LIG).