Examining the tourism value of geological landscape features: the case of Terme San Giovanni in the Siena clay lands of Tuscany

The area of the Siena clay lands is famous for its aesthetic value, acknowledged at a national and international level. Though landscapes may have a strong visual attractiveness, other factors are also relevant in determining the extent to which they are appreciated. In this study, we hypothesized that a deeper knowledge of landscape is ever more required by visitors and also by local citizens, therefore a survey was built and submitted to visitors to the San Giovanni spa, located in one of the geologically richest locations. Though wellness and health are the main attraction, this study confirms that "landscape" still plays an important role in tourism attraction, but that visitors are not generally aware of more specific geological features despite proximity and easy accessibility. Nevertheless, increasing awareness of environmental and cultural significance, by "qualifying" these features, would increase the appreciation and would be decisive in capitalizing on this attraction.