Geotourism: the Master Key to Protect and Improve the Capabilities of Local Communities with Examples from Northwestern of Iran

All evidence about Iran's villages and local communities, suggests a gradual disintegration of their capabilities which has led to more immigration than residents of these areas to the cities. Geotourism, which emphasizes the maintenance and protection of the five key dimensions of the geographic features of a region - the environment, culture, beauty, science, education, and the well-being of local people, can play a special role in preserving the capacities of local communities. This study aimed to introduce some geosites and geomorphosites of northwest of Iran and to explain the role of development or vanishing of Geotouristic areas on the protection and organization of ability of local communities. Research methodology is based on literature review, taking advantage of the valuable experiences of other countries and researchers in the field of tourism, identifying and analyzing geotouristic issues of some geotouristic areas of northwestern Iran using landscape analytical techniques, and ultimately establishing the position of geotourism in the protection and organization of geotourisic areas. The study of the dependence of local communities in the studied areas to the environmental changes and the impact of these changes on stability or disintegration of geotouristic areas showed that geotourism intrinsic properties such as environmentalism, productivity, resource conservation, respect local traditions and culture, qualitative review, synergy, collaboration, awareness, economic benefit, integrity, and ultimately satisfaction, all emphasized the conservation and sustainable exploitation coupled with development.