Plan your next geotour

A new geotourism website created by National Geographic features outdoor adventures not far from North Idaho.

The Greater Yellowstone Geotourism Program announced the launch of the new website detailing these "distinctive and authentic experiences found in the Greater Yellowstone region."

The geotourism program is offered through a collaboration with the Idaho Division of Tourism, Montana Office of Tourism and the Wyoming Office of Tourism.

Geotourism is defined as tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place - its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage and the well-being of its residents.

It incorporates the concept of sustainable tourism - that destinations should remain unspoiled for future generations - while allowing for ways to protect a place's character. Geotourism also takes a principle from its ecotourism cousin - that tourism revenue should promote conservation - and extends it to culture and history as well, that is, all distinctive assets of a place.

The new website and additional upcoming features will provide a more dynamic and rich experience for visitors in planning their travel. Some of the new features include:

* Intuitive organization of content via gallery and map pages.

* Trip planning through viewing sample trip itineraries and selecting points of interest.

* Storytelling by locals and visitors.

* Recommending or commenting on points of interest and travel experiences.

To check it out, visit http://yellowstone.natgeotourism.com/