Grounds. (*) Arouca Declaration; International Congress of Geotourism, Arouca Geopark, Portugal, Nov

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2 Grounds In the past few years, Latin America has witnessed increasing actions intended to conceive and develop geoparks, mainly as a result of the initiative promoted by the UNESCO Geoscience and Geoparks Programme. In this sense, several countries are exploring and elaborating aspiring geopark projects by means of strategies where the academic sector (mainly geoscientific disciplines), local and national governments, the private sector, organizations of the civil society and the community itself meet. One of the main aspects promoted in terms of geoparks is geotourism, defined as tourism which sustains and enhances the identity of a territory, taking into consideration its geology, environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage and the well-being of its residents. Geological tourism is one of the multiple components of geotourism (*) (*) Arouca Declaration; International Congress of Geotourism, Arouca Geopark, Portugal, Nov

3 Also, geological tourism is considered a basic tool for the conservation, dissemination and cherishing of the history of life on Earth, including its dynamics and mechanisms. It enables visitors to understand a past of 4600 million years so as to view the present from another perspective and project possible shared futures for the Earth and humankind. (*) The development of these activities requires only certain conditions, which nowadays are met in the Latin American context, as follows: 1) Willpower of the parties involved, that is, the organizations and institutions in each country leading and promoting aspiring geoparks and UNESCO global geoparks, with close ties to tourism promotion policies. (*) Arouca Declaration; International Congress of Geotourism, Arouca Geopark, Portugal, Nov

4 2) A series of sites (national parks, protected areas, geosites, sites of interest, etc.) ready to be visited and open to exploration and learning for visitors. Undeniably, geological, archaeological, paleontological and volcanic wealth constitutes a great advantage to Latin America, and should be used when fostering geotourism. In addition, Latin American countries offer a rich and extraordinary social, cultural and ethnic diversity, with native peoples and rural communities that are integral part of geoparks and should be included in geotourism routes accordingly. 3) Technical capacity and capacity of execution. Designing and planning geotourism activities imply a multidisciplinary approach and, most of all, great capacity of management and communication. Making things happen should be the primary objective of any technical and management team. Consequently, considering the countless natural and heritage resources, the region is in a position to develop geotourism routes that take into account and encourage new bonds between people and the Earth.

5 Proposal of action By virtue of the above and as an UNESCO Global Geopark, Grutas del Palacio proposes the Latin American Geotourism Day, to be held simultaneously at all geoparks and/or aspiring geoparks in Latin America and the Caribbean during the Tourism Week (Holy Week) this year, without implying religious connotations, but rather in view of the undeniable impact this week has on the flow of tourists in each country. From a methodology perspective, each territory involved should be able to identify and propose a specific geotourism route, generating thematic and educational contents, interpretative materials and other items and activities duly planned.

6 Also, communication, visibility and promotion criteria should be unified, which would imply sharing the creation of posters and other promotional aspects. Expected to rotate annually, the coordination of the event will be in charge of the proposing geopark this first time. Geoparks and aspiring geoparks interested in being part of this day will be required to complete a participation form, to be duly designed for organization purposes.

7 Relevant facts In 2016, Grutas del Palacio held the FIRST GEOTOURISM WEEK IN URUGUAY, with the purpose of implementing a new tourism modality aimed at boosting the geological, historical and cultural heritage of the territory, making the most of the competitive advantages of being a designated UNESCO Global Geopark. To learn more, check the geopark newsletter: content/uploads/2016/08/bolet%c3%adn-julio- 2016_ENG.pdf

8 In this sense, specific activities took place at main geosites in an attempt to make visitors interact with geology, obtaining a new perspective of our Earth's past and enjoying natural and heritage spaces with awareness. An invitation poster was designed with a series of questions intended to spark the imagination and capture the curiosity of visitors: Would you like to know the language of rocks? Did dinosaurs walk these lands? Why do rock art paintings last for thousands of years? In addition, simple yet specialized brochures were made for each circuit, explaining geological concepts and elements on a straightforward and understandable basis for the public. The week was also promoted by events at the Ministry of Tourism of Uruguay (with the attendance of the highest Uruguayan authorities), and at Tourism Offices of the municipalities of the southern-central region of the country.

9 With major impact in communication media and specialized agencies, the news was picked up by national and international sites, which contributed to positioning this activity as an unprecedented attraction of Uruguay. As way of example, the official Twitter feed of América Economía positioned geotourism as a new attraction in Uruguay, while RCN Noticias (Colombia) and ParanaShop (Brazil) also echoed the news of the first Uruguayan geotourism week.

10 In terms of activities, several undergraduate Geology students (School of Sciences, Universidad de la República) participated as guides at each one of the geosites, explaining scientific concepts to visitors and providing for the use of typical instruments of this field (magnifying glasses, hammers, etc.). As intended, tourists were offered an exploring-like experience, complemented, in addition, with other disciplines, such as historiography.

11 In general terms, the Geotourism Week strengthened Grutas del Palacio geopark with consolidation of its image and positioning at both local and national level, while allowing to meet the goals related to promoting Geoscience and bringing geology and people closer to each other. From a Latin American perspective, the GEOTOURISM DAY will have a positive impact on three main elements, without prejudice to other aspects that may be identified: In the first place, it strengthens existing and aspiring geoparks as it contributes to reactivating and energizing their basic components, encouraging strong participation and involvement of the community. Geotourism makes tangible and intangible resources popular by sharing them with the general public first-hand in a creative manner. These experiences are often enlightening to tourists, who become multiplying agents thanks to the use of social media and other communication channels. In the second place, it will entail a clear boost to the Latin America and the Caribbean Geoparks Network, which remains a strong commitment assumed in Mexico (*), and reaffirmed shortly after by the Declaration of Arequipa (Peru). (**) (*) Geoparks and geoheritage: promoting geoheritage in Latin America Mexico City Mexico; May (**) First Symposium of Geoparks Arequipa Peru; July 2015

12 Finally, and taking into account that 2017 has been declared by the United Nations the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, the Latin American Geotourism Day will evidence the commitment of the region in general, and of the geoparks and aspiring geoparks in particular, to a more inclusive and sustainable tourism, promoter of a culture of peace. Our proposal will entail positive changes in tourism development, making progress in terms of the 2030 Agenda and sustainable development goals (SDGs). Geoparks are the new territories of the 21st century and, as such, should play a leading and prevailing role to achieve these sustainable goals. Diego Irazábal Coordinator