Geotourism and Lake Tahoe Real Estate

What is Geotourism?

According to National Geographic, Geotourism is “tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place—its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents.”

Geotourism, is a form of “sustainable travel”, which entails cultural tourism, ecotourism, agritourism, culinary tourism, and others on a growing list of niche tourism segments.

Moving beyond the definitions, the why should we care about Geotourism? There are two main reasons:

1. Geotourism attracts a different kind of tourist: someone who stays longer, spends more money, likes to patronize the “local” places and is more interesting in leaving a positive impact. Geotourists are often interested in local culture, wildlife, outdoor activities, museums, volunteering (a.k.a. “voluntourism”), local entertainment and history.

2. There is a geotourism project underway in the Sierra Nevada region RIGHT NOW! In fact, now is the time to nominate Geotourism assets in the “Tahoe-Emigrant Corridor” phase of the project. Yes, you guessed it: this area includes Lake Tahoe, the “jewel of the Sierra” according to Mark Twain. “Geotourism assets” are anything authentic, distinctive and sustainable about a destination, and may include trails, historic landmarks, parks, geological features, green businesses, cultural assets, events, stories or even living people.

Mountain bikers enjoying the Tahoe Rim Trail, a geotourism asset

You can find out more about Geotourism in the Sierra Nevada and nominate your favorite spots at SierraNevadaGeotourism.com.

What’s all of this have to do with real estate in South Lake Tahoe? Well, it’s no secret that absolutely everything can be factored into what makes a community a great place to live, and can also influence the value of a home or property. The Sierra Nevada Geotourism project aims to identify, preserve, and promote the region’s distinctive and sustainable assets. This helps create more sustainable programs where we live, attracts people who will leave our home a better place when they leave (and want to visit again) and, in essence, makes Lake Tahoe a better place to live…or buy property!