Historical evolution of geotourism

In 1992 , the PROGEO - European Association for the Maintenance of the Geological Patrimony was born in Europe. Its purpose was to stimulate this Patrimony and the protection of sites and landscapes which have geological interest in Europe. In 1996, IUGS (International Union of Geological Sciences) began the Geosites Project, whose goal was to elaborate the inventory and database of interesting places to promote geomaintenance. Since then, geological services from many countries began inventories of national sites with geological interest, defined as areas showing one or many important characteristics inside a region's geological history. In the most developed countries, these areas are considered fundamental part of the natural patrimony.

Also, since 1996 Unesco has prepared the Geoparks Program - protected areas with well defined limits that contain places of geological interest with special scientific importance, singularity or beauty, that represent the geological history of a region or events and processes that formed them. In developed countries, as a demonstration of respect for the planet, geological monuments are demarcated as historical places and sometimes transformed into outside museums with outdoors giving information about their geological evolution.

On the highways, outdoors show places of geological interest; treks, maps and other products are sold allowing the guy to get acquaintted with geological history.Brazil is Mondial Patrimony signatory, international convention for protection of cultural and natural sites. In 1997 there was the first meeting of SIGEP - Brazilian Commission for Paleobiological and Geological Sites - formed by ten brazilian entities connected to geology, environment, paleontology and historic patrimony. SIGEP, actuating for almost one decade, has elaborated the book "Brazil Geological and Paleontological Sites" connecting 154 interesting sites.