Our country, due to its location at the convergence of two tectonic plates, disposes a variety of geological formations, landforms, geological processes, past or "under creation", having both special scientific or educational value and generating strong international interest. Many of them have high cultural and tourist value. So we need both: to record and preserve the scientific, educational, environmental value and highlight several other areas with conditions and potential for creation and enhancement of geojourneys, thematic networks geotopes, alternative tourism proposals, geoparks. The interpretation of the geological history of each region, its relationship to development, culture, the overall environment are components missing from any attempt to renew the environmental tourism and cultural affairs. Such efforts are enough, but missing the key element that makes the new, the other look. You can not talk about Nisyros and not stress the specificity of the island that was almost exclusively due to the volcano. Santorini can not be known mainly for the sunset, nor the cultural routes in Stratoniki not giving the appropriate interpretation of geoscientific history of the region, which is key to the whole history and what makes the difference for each region. These are just a few random examples. The special, unique feature, a representative of each region should be recorded and highlighted. So he, the traveler, walker will not leave an area without knowing the history of the attribute that most likely has admired, for example the grand fault of Servia with the impressive polished planes, which reflected the repeated activities of the fault, or the volcano in Sousaki, a short walk from Athens, from where begins the history of the volcanic arc of the southern Aegean. There are not many sites that have the fossils of Pikermi, the terraces of the northern Peloponnese, the oceanic rocks and the junction zone of two continents, the Eurasian and African in Vourino, the mines of Paggaio, the ancient quarries of Paros, the source of Lerna or Ideon Andro and the geoscientific interpretation of myths, etc., etc. The hightlight of this unique geological testimony is an object that IGME knows how to do with unique success. A sufficient number of representative sites that can be geotopes are known in the Greek territory and particularly in IGME through long-term exploratory and applied work and dealing with this subject. The situation in Greece in relation to geotopes - geoparks issues is particularly deficient, compared to what happens in other European countries but also worldwide. The existing information should be updated, supplemented, it should be systematic to adjust in the direction of identifying geotopes - geoparks in order to be used properly. Besides, the development based on geology has become practice in other parts of the world with much less interesting geology, archaeology, history, culture. In Britain, for example, a country with great tradition in conservation of geological heritage and 43 volumes dedicated to renewal, since 1977, registration and documentation of geotopes (only the SSSI -Sites of specific international or national scientific interest, not the RIGS – sites of regional or local interest), the British Geological Service (BGS) has recently undertaken geological research for sites with Geotourism potential.
