Speleological objects becoming show caves: evidence from the Valjevo karst area in Western Serbia

Abstract

The interaction between speleology and tourism has been active in science and society for a very long time. In many countries, tourist caves shape the economic situation at the local and regional level. This shows their value for the development of local communities and for scientific research and promotion of science. Caves represent the indicators of cave tourism development, and they are one of the main geosites for geotourism travel. Transforming speleological objects into show caves has brought numerous positive results for many regions in the world, including Serbia. In this paper, we try to reveal the ability of speleological objects becoming show caves. The case study of our research is four caves in the Valjevo karst area (West Serbia). We examined their current state and the possibilities for cave tourism development. Using the M-GAM (modified geosite assessment model), we evaluated these four caves and thus determined their values and show cave potential. The obtained results point out the significant values of the explored speleological geoheritage, which possess imposing cave tourism potential. Moreover, the regional conception and creation of a geopark in this area is an evident potential, and more concrete indicators are presented in this paper. Cave tourism in the Zlatibor region is considered an important aspect of a potential geopark in Western Serbia and Valjevo karst area as a crucial complementary potential. The importance of including these caves in the tourist market has been determined by the research results. Active cave tourism of researched geosites can significantly influence both local and regional economic growth, as well as the concept of sustainability of the cave environment and its ecosystem, education, and responsibility.