Sandstone rock outcrops in the Outer Eastern Carpathians in Ukraine: Assessment of geotourism potential by the GAM and Brilha methods

Abstract

In this paper, we assess geotourism potential of sandstone rock formations in the Outer Eastern Carpathians on the territory of Ukraine. We focus on the seven sites with sandstone rock outcrops, which are popular among hikers due to their aesthetic attractiveness and historic significance. Applying the two well-acknowledged methods of geotourism potential assessment, namely the Geosite Assessment Model (GAM) and the Brilha method, we evaluate significance of the selected rock formations as geological and geomorphological sites, which can be valuable for scientific and educational use as well. In the process of the analysis, we compare the assessment methods in terms of how complementary or contradictory results they may render if they are applied simultaneously to the same cases. We find that sandstone rock outcrops in the Ukrainian part of the Outer Eastern Carpathians are underexplored as geotourism attractions and more scientific attention is required to those and similar sites in the area to fully appreciate their potential.