Regional development encourages economically disadvantaged communities to improve their economic, social, cultural and environmental well being by realising the full potential of a region’s resources and its inhabitants. Wealth creation through the expansion of sustainable economic development enhances the quality of life and is therefore considered as a prerequisite for regional development. With the exception of the urban English Riviera Geopark, European geoparks are located in rural areas experiencing slow economic development, high levels of unemployment and population decline. By definition a European Geopark is a territory which combines the protection and promotion of the geological heritage with sustainable local development.