Geotourism in Damyang

Geotourism in Damyang

  Damyang which is located in South Jeolla Province is one of the areas where people can feel that they are gettng rest. Furthermore, tourists can enjoy its beautiful scenery because the number of buildings is quite few. The Metasequoia road where a lot of trees are standing along the both sides and Jungnonwon Bamboo Garden which is green all year-around are typical tourist attractions in Damyang that shows wonderful landscapes. For that reason, the number of foreign tourists is increasting recently and Damyang is trying to make its place a global city from new tourism business. Being a famous area in Korea can bring positive effect to Damyang such as helping local community that could make money of tour and local products. However, Damyang's effort to make itself popular could bring two side effects to the area such as the destruction and losing its identity. Therefore, Damyang has to keep its present geotourism business.
 
  One side effect of tourism that Damyang is trying to work on these days is that "the destruction of nature" such as trees. One of the reasons that tourists are visiting Damyang is they can feel relaxed while they are traveling the area. However, Damyang is recently putting LED lights to the Metasequoia road's trees because of The World Bamboo Exhibition. LED lights could make the way more beautiful and more tourists can come and enjoy to see the view, but these lights could harm the trees. One of the officials from the environmental movement organization mentioned that it is the antinatural act because LED lights could casue too much stress to trees. If trees get much stress from artificial stuffs, they will lose their greenish color someday. Moreover, Damyang could not make money from this attraction any longer because the Metasequoia road would have no value to visit. Therefore, if Damyang wants more tourists from its tourism, it has to keep the road as it is and stay with its geotourism business.

  Another side effect of tourism is "losing its identity" from tourism. The best feature in Damyang is that the area is nature friendly. However, after many foreign tourists started to visit Damyang, it made a plan to build Meta Provence which is the village of European style in 2007 and was finished in 2013. Most signs in Meta Provence are wrote in English because of foreign tourists. Moreover, some people felt as if they were in abroad. This means that Damyang is losing identity because of tourism. It can make more money, but tourists lose attraction to tour Damyang in someday if the area has no own style. Therefore, Damyang should care about the places such as Jungnogwon and Gwanbangjerim Forest where people can enjoy their geotourism in the area.

  If Damyang keeps their tourism business in those ways which was mentioned for side effects, its area will lose tourists who want to feel its original atmosphere. Furthermore, tourists will not visit Damyang, if it does not have any attraction to enjoy. However, if Damyang is trying to work on geotourism, local community and people who sell local products which are made by bamboo and traditional foods can benefit from it. Moreover, Damyang could be a area that could be called the best nature friendly place and more tourists take it attractive than before and any other place.

  The destruction of nature and losing own identity are two side effects of tourism. However, if Damyang makes its mind to work on geotourism more, those side effects will be solved. Geotourism in Damyang needs more development of its area and if it is improved than before, it can bring better results to local community and people who live in Damyang.