Geomorphotourism and desert Geomorphosites Assessment with emphasis on ‎Geosite Assessment Model (GAM) (Cast Study: Semnan Province)‎

The assessment methods developed in previous years focused mainly on geosites ‎and their scientific quality, and later additional values. In this study Geosite ‎Assessment Model due to further compliance with the region is used for ‎assessment of Geomorphosites. The Geosite Assessment Model (GAM) was ‎created according to several existing evaluation methods and most of the criteria ‎proposed for the numerical assessment were taken from extant literature on the ‎field. GAM proposes main and additional values. The first group, main values, ‎comprises three indicators: scientific/educational, scenic/aesthetical and protection ‎values. The second indicator group of the geosite assessment model, additional ‎values, is further divided in to two indicators, functional and touristic values. The ‎result of the study shows that desert national park with a score of (18.75) is more ‎important than other Geomorphosites. The results of the assessment indicate that ‎the desert Geomorphosites of semnan province have significant main values, but ‎low additional values, so they could be considered only as potential tourist ‎attractions in terms of their scientific/educational and aesthetic/scenic values. ‎Further steps should involve improving and supplementing the essential ‎geotouristic infrastructure.Geotourism is a new approach to explain the earth planet and its natural capital. In ‎addition to educational and scientific roles, it can cause to development of ‎regional tourism and offer strategies for sustainable development in the ‎geotourism sites. (Anifi et al, 1388, 38).Geomorphotourism is an approach that ‎emphasizes on the use of geomorphological and geological features and their ‎ability with a focus on saving these features and forms and sustainable use of ‎them (Reynard, 2008: 226). This approach also places an emphasis on ‎maintaining the geographical identity (Ranjbar, 1388) and referring to relationship ‎between geotrourism and historic - cultural signs and reminders (De Waele and ‎Melis, 2009: 578‎‏ ؛Panizza and Piacente, 2008)‎‏ ‏and also interactions between ‎geomorphology and tourism‎‎