Cave Tourism Research Articles

‘Into the darkness’ – The caving community and their tourist experiences. The Polish case

Descent into the underground requires from explorers not only a high level of physical endurance, technical skills, and ability to use specialized equipment, but also psychological adaptation to severe cave conditions: the darkness, the coldness, and the unknown. The paper focuses on mental states and emotions that accompany cave descents at every stage of the tourist experience. The study examines cavers' tourist motivations as well as perceived benefits of this kind of physical activity. The research aims at the Polish caving community. The study indicates that participation in cave exploration for respondents undertaking cave challenges outside of regular tourism is generally the result of a combination of equally strong factors, rather than a single dominant motivation. The benefits of cave exploration are inwardly directed, those related to creating one’s external image were of marginal importance among survey respondents. A state of ‘focus and concentration’ accompanies cavers during almost the entire stay in cave what not lessen a sense of overall satisfaction, joy, and excitation. To some extent, anxiety, anger, and rarely fear, shape the cave tourist experience. Management implicationsThe tourism product of any kinds of tourism should meet the expectations and needs of their participants. Dedicated speleotourists visiting sites outside mass tourism in popular show caves are leading by the complex of motivations typical for tourism as such. However, in the study analysed, the search for beauty and aesthetic impressions next to experiencing the unknown and novelty are explicitly significant motivators for cave exploration, even more important than looking for sport challenges and physical effort. This observation underlines cognitive and emotional meaning, not only sport character of cave exploration.The research might suggest the general direction in preparation of the offer for dedicated cave tourists: they do not require the creation of new infrastructure (e.g. in terms of cave accessibility) or provision of new amenities, but possibilities of the improvement of technical skills, while enjoying the beauty of the caves, with maintaining a balance between commercialization and the sense of uniqueness and exclusivity of the product.As pristine and unexplored caves constitute a ‘non-renewable resource,’ thus there is a need for redefinition of ‘the unknown’ and ‘the new’ concepts in cave tourism practiced by dedicated cave tourists (far beyond the geographical sense). The result of this procedure might help meet the expectations of dedicated cave tourists toward their tourist experiences and the attractiveness of sites.The explorations of dedicated cave tourists occur outside or on the fringes of tourism. To include them in the mainstream of broader tourism, it is necessary to find a balance between commercialization and the uniqueness and exclusivity of the product. The latter should provide satisfaction both in the area of physical well-being and the emotional sphere (sense of community, strengthening bonds).The study revealed the literature gap in terms of existential authenticity and the recognition of aesthetic and bodily experiences in cave tourism outside of popular show caves.

Community Empowerment Based on Locality Development to Improving Social Welfare Through Pancur Cave Tourism In Jimbaran Village

Community Empowerment Based on Locality Development to Improving Social Welfare Through Pancur Cave Tourism In Jimbaran Village

Guidelines for Managing Radon Hazards in Tourist Volcanic Caves in Spain.

Tourist volcanic caves are in high demand for ecotourism and geotourism lovers, as well as by sun and beach tourists as a complementary activity during their holidays. There are six tourist volcanic caves in the Canary Islands, all of them managed by the local administration of the island. The managers of these caves must ensure the safety of visitors and workers, who are exposed to natural hazards, such as radon, inherent to the environment in which the activity takes place. The methodology for analyzing natural radon radiation is based on the latest studies published by experts in this field and on previous experiences in tourist caves. This article proposes a protocol for the correct management of radon in tourist caves in the Canary Islands, adapted to current regulations, to mitigate effects on the health of visitors and workers.

The Influence of Quality of Tourism Services and Products on Loyalty through Tourist Satisfaction at Selomangleng Cave Tourism, Kediri City

This research is entitled The Influence of Service Quality and Tourism Products on Loyalty through Tourist Satisfaction in the Selomangleng Cave Tourism, Kediri City, which aims to describe the influence of service quality, tourism products, tourist satisfaction and tourist loyalty in the Selomangleng Cave Tourism, Kediri City, analyzing the quality of services and tourism products. on tourist satisfaction, analyzing the quality of tourism services and products on tourist loyalty, analyzing tourist satisfaction on loyalty, and analyzing the influence of the quality of tourism services and products on loyalty through tourist satisfaction at Selomangleng Cave, Kediri City. The sample in this study was 89 tourists who visited the tourist attraction. Selomangleng Cave. The analysis technique uses path analysis. The results of the analysis show that the quality of tourism services and products has an influence on tourist satisfaction, this means that the quality of tourism services and products is getting better and developing, which has an impact on tourist satisfaction. The quality of tourism services and products influences loyalty, which means that the better the quality of tourism services and products offered will influence tourists to be loyal to tourist destinations. Tourist satisfaction influences tourist loyalty, which means that better tourist satisfaction will influence the level of tourist loyalty. The quality of tourism services and products affects loyalty through tourist satisfaction, which means that loyalty can be increased if the quality of tourism services and products is good, this will create a higher level of tourist satisfaction and have an impact on tourist visits and loyalty.

First insights into the age of the giant ice deposits in the Eisriesenwelt cave (Austria)

Frozen water is the most widespread type of ice present in ice caves and forms ice stalagmites and stalactites as well as floor ice, which is often several meters thick. Organic macroremains are commonly rare in this type of cave ice, which makes it difficult to establish a chronology and severely limits the use of such ice deposits as paleoenvironmental archives. Here, the chronology of such ice deposits in the inner part of the glaciated Eisriesenwelt, one of the world’s largest ice caves located in the European Alps of Austria, is determined by a combination of radiocarbon and 230Th dating of cryogenic calcite. The data suggest that this cave ice has formed over the last three millennia, with a marked increase in the average accumulation rate during the thirteenth century, coinciding with the onset of the Little Ice Age in the Alps. Data from a second site closer to the entrance suggests that large parts of this tourist cave were likely ice-free during the Medieval Warm Period and that a substantial part of the ice is probably a relic of the Little Ice Age. The current warming has already penetrated deeper into the cave than during the Medieval Warm Period, although air exchange during the warm season is restricted by a door at the cave entrance.

Cultivable fungal diversity in two karstic caves in Italy: under-investigated habitats as source of putative novel taxa

Microbial diversity of caves is largely understudied and its possible applications are still unknown. Autochthonous fungi, in particular, may have the potential to biomineralize metals and may be used as promising agents for bioremediation of polluted sites; thus, unearthing the fungal diversity in hypogean ecosystems is nowadays of utmost importance. To start addressing this knowledge gap, the cultivable mycobiota of two neighbouring caves—one natural and one exploited for touristic purposes—were characterised and compared by studying fungi isolated from sediments collected at increasing distances from the entrance. Overall, 250 fungal isolates ascribable to 69 taxa (mainly Ascomycota) were found, a high percentage of which was reported in caves for the first time. The sediments of the touristic cave displayed a richer and more diversified community in comparison with the natural one, possibly due to visitors carrying propagules or organic material. Considering that these environments are still poorly explored, chances to detect new fungal lineages are not negligible.

Sources and transport of CO2 in the karst system of Jiguan Cave, Funiu Mountains, China

Conveyance and modification of carbon-isotope signals within the karst system remain difficult to constrain, due to the complexity of interactions between multiple components, including precipitation, bedrock, soil, atmosphere, and biota. Cave monitoring is thus critical to understanding both their transport in the karst system and dependence on local hydroclimatic conditions. Jiguan Cave, located in Funiu Mountain in central China, is representative of karst tourist caves with relatively thin epikarst zone. We conducted a comprehensive monitoring program of cave climate from 2018 to 2021 and measured δ13C during 2021 in monthly and heavy-rainfall samples of soil CO2, cave CO2, cave water (drip water and underground river), and underground river outlet. Our results demonstrate synchronous variations between CO2 concentration and δ13CCO2 in both soil and cave air on seasonal time scales. Cave pCO2 and carbon-isotope composition further exhibited a high sensitivity to human respiration with fluctuations of ~2000–3000 ppm within 4 days during the cave closure period in July 2021 without tourists. 13C-depleted isotopic signal of cave air in summer is the mixture of human respiration and soil CO2 which varies as a function of regional hydrological conditions of the summer monsoon during the rainy season with high temperatures and humidity. However, respired CO2 from the overlying soil was expected to be the only principal source of the cave CO2 when the anthropogenic CO2 source was removed. The high seasonal amplitude of cave air δ13CCO2 reflects ventilation dynamics, which leads to a prominent contribution from the external atmosphere during winter. Intriguingly, although the δ13C signal reflects complex vertical processes in the vertical karst profile, a heavy summer rainfall event was related to anomalously high δ13C values of cave water that can be utilized to interpret rainfall intensity and regional hydroclimate.

Behavioral responses of cave-roosting bats to artificial light of different spectra and intensities: Implications for lighting management strategy

Artificial light at night has become an emerging environmental pollutant, posing a serious threat to biodiversity. Cave-roosting animals are vulnerable to light pollution due to long-term adaptation to nocturnal niches, and the problem is especially severe in the context of cave tourism and limestone mining. Mitigating the adverse impacts of artificial light on cave-dwelling animals presents a challenge. This study aimed to assess the relative contributions of spectral parameters and light intensity to the emergence behavior of nine cave-roosting bat species: Rhinolophus macrotis, Rhinolophus pearsonii, Rhinolophus rex, Rhinolophus pusillus, Rhinolophus siamensis, Rhinolophus sinicus, Hipposideros armiger, Myotis davidii, and Miniopterus fuliginosus. We manipulated light spectra and intensities through light-emitting diode (LED) lighting and gel filters at the entrance of bat roost. We monitored nightly passes per species to quantify bat emergence under the dark control and ten lighting conditions (blue, green, yellow, red, and white light at high and low intensities) using ultrasonic recording. Our analyses showed that the number of bat passes tended to be reduced in the presence of white, green, and yellow light, independent of light intensity. In contrast, the number of bat passes showed no pronounced differences under the dark control, blue light, and red light. The number of bat passes was primarily affected by LED light's blue component, red component, peak wavelength, and half-width instead of light intensity. These results demonstrate that spectral parameters of LED light can significantly affect emergence behavior of cave-dwelling bats. Our findings highlight the importance of manipulating light colors to reduce the negative impacts of light pollution on cave-roosting bats as a function of their spectral sensitivity. We recommend the use of gel filters to manage existing artificial lighting systems at the entrance of bat-inhabited caves.

Cave-adapted millipedes from Portugal: species conservation profiles.

Amongst the cave-dwelling millipedes (Diplopoda), there are several endemic species in Portugal with a very small geographical distribution. These species play an important role in the decomposition of organic matter in subterranean ecosystems and are vulnerable to disturbance from human activities, such as habitat destruction, pollution infiltrating from the surface and cave tourism. We present the IUCN Red List profiles for cave-adapted millipedes (Diplopoda) from Portugal and propose conservation measures to prevent extinction. Overall, cave-adapted millipedes from Portugal represent an endemic part of the country's biodiversity and conservation efforts will help maintain the delicate ecological balance of subterranean ecosystems.

Site-specific dose conversion factors for radon progeny based on ambient aerosol characteristics in an outdoor environment and a tourist cave.

Site-specific Dose Conversion Factors (DCFs) for radon progeny were estimated based on the aerosol measurement results in an outdoor environment and a tourist cave. The Activity Median Diameter (AMD) and unattached fraction were measured and used to calculate the effective dose per unit intake of radon progeny. The AMDs in the outdoor environment was in the range of 0.24-0.71μm with the unattached fraction of 0.17. In the tourist cave, two peaks were found in the aerosol size distribution at nucleation and accumulation modes and the unattached fraction was measured to be 0.69 with a range of 0.36-0.85. The DCFs at the outdoor environment did not differ from those from the publication of the International Commission on Radiological Protection; however, the DCF in the tourist cave was significantly higher due to the discrepancy in the unattached fraction and the aerosol size distribution. It was found that these two factors would significantly affect the DCF so that we should be aware of it.

Pengaruh Citra Destinasi, Fasilitas Wisata, terhadap Kepuasan Konsumen pada Wisata Goa Gong Pacitan

This study aims to:1) determine the effect of destination imageon consumer satisfaction in Pacitan Gong Cave Tourism, 2) determine the effect of facilities on consumer satisfaction in Pacitan Gong Cave Tourism, 3) determine the effect of desination image, tourist facilities on consumer satisfaction in Pacitan Gong Cave Tourism. This study resulted that Destinatin Image (X1) has an effect on Consumer Satisfaction (Y), where the T count value is 4,079 > T table value 1,989, meaning that there is a significant effectof destination image (X1) on consumer satisfaction (Y). Tourismfacilities (X2) have an effect on consumer satisfaction (Y), where the T value us 2,913 > 1,989 meaning that there is a significant influence of tourism facilities (X2) on consumer satisfaction (Y). The F value is 94,504 which means it is positive with a significant value of 0,000 means less than 0,05. There fore, simultaneously the desination image variable and tourist facilities have a positive effect on the consumer satisfaction variable. And the last one is the test results for the value of R2 is 6,090 which means that the variables X1 and X2 are able to explain the variable Y by 69,0%.

Jenis Tumbuhan Obat Yang Dikonsumsi Monyet Ekor Panjang (Macaca fascicularis) Di Goa Kreo

Kreo Cave is one of Macaca fascicularis habitats in Central Java Province. Kreo Cave has been used as a natural tourist spot in the city of Semarang since 2014. One of the attractions for visitors is the presence of monkeys in the area, especially around the cave. Macaca fascicularis is a type of non-human primate whose distribution is very wide. Macaca fascicularis have an important role for an area, one of which is as a eater of fruits and seeds found in the area, thus helping in the distribution of seeds in order to maintain the balance of nature. The purpose of this research is to describe the types of food eaten and can be used as medicine for Macaca fascicularis. The results showed that Macaca fascicularis in the Kreo Cave Tourism Area ate several plants in the area such as Tamarindus indica, Musa paradisiaca, Psidium guajava, Mangifera indica, Nephelium lappaceum, Leucaena leucocephala, and Morinda citrifolia. When visitors brought bananas, several monkeys came closer and then the visitors threw them at the monkeys. The faster monkey will get the bananas. After the banana is in his hand, Macaca fascicularis takes him to a quiet place or away from their friends.

THE POTENTIAL OF NATURAL TOURISM VILLAGE OF THOUSAND GOA TOURISM HUMBANG HASUNDUTAN DISTRICT

The purpose of this study was to determine the natural tourism potential of a thousand caves as a natural tourist attraction in Humbang Hasundutan Regency. In this study using the method of observation, interviews, and qualitative methods. The results of the study are that a thousand caves have 800 to 1200 caves, the environmental conditions around a thousand caves are still natural, the uniqueness of a thousand caves is stunning carvings of stalactites and stalagmites, activities that can be done in a thousand caves are enjoying the beauty of flora and fauna, exploring caves, enjoying sunset panoramas , there are facilities in the form of toilets, photo spots, parking lots, and trekking areas. Based on the results of the research conducted, it was concluded that a thousand caves have the potential as a natural tourist attraction for the thousand cave tourism village, Humbang Hasundutan District.

Factor Analysis of Demand for Kaligua Tourism in Brebes Regency: A Case Study Using Primary Data

Based on BPS data, Kaligua tourism experienced a decrease in visitors in 2020 of 68,110 people, down to 64,325 in 2021. And it will drop again in 2022 to 51,587. This indicates a decrease in income for Kaligua tourism objects even though this sector is very important because it has a role in the economy. Against the backdrop of the current problems, it appears that the tourism sector plays a very important role in economic growth, and the growth of new tourist destinations has led to increasingly fierce competition between tourist sites to attract tourists to visit. On the other hand, services in tourism management in terms of serving tourists are not yet good. The purpose of this research is to develop a strategy that can increase the number of tourist visits in Kaligua tourism. Kaligua Tourism continues to experience a decline in visitors from 2020 to 2022, so research is needed to formulate the right strategy to increase visitors to Kali Cave tourism. This research was conducted to determine the effect of penetration pricing and consumer motivation on the decision to visit Kaligua tourism. Data were obtained through interviews. 97 Respondents who have already visited Kaligua tourism will be asked to fill out a questionnaire, and the results will be tested through smart PLS. It is hoped that this research will be able to become the basis and reference for Kaligua tourism in determining the right strategy to increase Kaligua tourism visitors.

Changes induced in the human respiratory tract by chronic cigarette smoking can reduce the dose to the lungs from exposure to radon progeny

Chronic cigarette smoking leads to changes in the respiratory tract that might affect the dose received from exposure to radon progeny. In this study, changes induced by cigarette smoking in the respiratory tract were collected from the literature and used for calculation of the dose received by the lungs and organs outside the respiratory tract. Morphological and physiological parameters affected by chronic smoking were implemented in the human respiratory tract model (HRTM) used by the International Commission of Radiological Protection (ICRP). Smokers were found to receive lung doses 3% smaller than the ICRP reference worker (non-smoking reference adult male) in mines and 14% smaller in indoor workplaces and tourist caves. A similar dose reduction was found for the extrathoracic region of the HRTM. Conversely, kidneys, brain, and bone marrow of smokers were found to receive from 2.3- up to 3-fold of the dose received by the respective organ in the ICRP reference worker, although they remained at least two orders of magnitude smaller than the lung dose. These results indicate that the differences in the lung dose from radon progeny exposure in cigarette smokers and non-smokers are smaller than 15%.

Preliminary Analysis of Enrichment Media Based on Physics Edupark in Cave Tourism Destination

This research is a preliminary research that aims to analyze the needs in developing enrichment media based on edupark physics in cave tourism destinations. The type of research used is the research and development using the Plomp model. This research is only a preliminary research phase which consists of teacher analysis, student analysis, and potential material analysis. The data used in this study were obtained from interviews and questionnaires given to physics teacher and 68 students from class X which is combined from SMAN 1 Lareh Sago Halaban and SMAN 2 Sijunjung students. Based on this preliminary research, the results show that media in video form has advantages for: motivating students to learn, showing physical phenomena as a whole, helping to develop student’s knowledge and skills, and helping students master the physics material. Besides that, cave tourism activities can be used as a physics edupark and as an object in developing physics edupark enrichment media in the form of videos because they have many connections with physics concepts. It can be concluded that multimedia interactive in the form of video is the most suitable learning media to be used as an enrichment media based on physics edupark.

Coronavirus pandemic: An opportunity to study the anthropogenic impact on micro-climate conditions and CaCO3 crystal morphology in the Nerja Cave (SE Spain)

Following the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Spanish Government restricted non-essential movements of all citizens and closed all public spaces, such as the Nerja Cave, until May 31, 2020. This particular condition of the closure of the cave provided a unique opportunity to study the micro-climate conditions and carbonate precipitation in this tourist cave without the presence of visitors. Our results show the significant effect of visitors on the air isotopic signature of the cave and on the genesis of the extensive dissolution features affecting the carbonate crystals formed in the tourist sector of the cave, alerting us to the possible corrosion of the speleothems located there. The movement of visitors within the cave also favours the mobilisation of aerial fungi and bacterial spores and their subsequent sedimentation simultaneously with the abiotic precipitation of carbonates from the drip water. The traces of these biotic elements could be the origin of the micro-perforations previously described in the carbonate crystals formed in the tourist galleries of the cave, but they are subsequently enlarged due to abiotic dissolution of the carbonates through these weaker zones.

Influence of Dose Conversions, Equilibrium Factors, and Unattached Fractions on Radon Risk Assessment in Operating and Show Underground Mines.

This paper compares the results of measurements taken in the underground workings of active and tourist mines. In these facilities, the aerosol size distributions of ambient aerosols at key workplaces and the distributions of radioactive aerosols containing radon decay products were determined. Based on these studies, dose conversions used for dose assessment and unattached fractions were determined. In addition, radon activity concentrations and potential alpha energy concentrations of short-lived progeny were also measured in the mines to determine the equilibrium factor. The dose conversions varied between 2-7 mSv/(mJ × h × m-3). The unattached fraction measured in active coal mines ranged from 0.01-0.23, in tourist mines from 0.09-0.44, and in the tourist cave it was 0.43. The results showed significant discrepancies between the effective doses determined from current recommendations and legal regulations and those determined from direct measurements of parameters affecting exposure.

Radon concentrations in the Sudwala cave, South Africa

There has been a growing interest in the effect of radon gas on humans visiting caves. A radon survey was consequently done in the Sudwala tourist cave close to Nelspruit in the eastern part of South Africa to determine the radon exposure of tourists and guides. The Sudwala cave, which evolved in karst geology, is a popular tourist destination. Twenty-eight electret ion chambers were placed in various locations throughout the cave for a period of 24 h. Radon concentrations varied between a minimum of 255 Bq/m3 and a maximum of 1822 Bq/m3 with a geometric mean of 750 Bq/m3. The radon levels were found to be relatively stable up to 600 m from the entrance, after which they sharply increased. This suggests that different processes disperse radon in the initial and deeper parts of the cave. It was concluded that this is the result of natural cave ventilation which is caused by changes in ambient barometric pressure. Despite the measured level being higher than the World Health Organization (WHO)’s mitigation level of 200 Bq/m3, the occupational exposure is quite low due to the frequency and duration of a typical cave tour and therefore poses no risk to the tourists and tour guides.

Tourism affects microbial assemblages in show caves

Anthropogenic disturbance on natural ecosystems is growing in frequency and magnitude affecting all ecosystems components. Understanding the response of different types of biocoenosis to human disturbance is urgently needed and it can be achieved by adopting a metacommunity framework. With the aid of advanced molecular techniques, we investigated sediment communities of Fungi, Bacteria and Archaea in four Italian show caves, aiming to disentangle the effects induced by tourism on their diversity and to highlight changes in the driving forces that shape their community composition. We modelled diversity measures against proxies of tourism pressure. With this approach we demonstrate that the cave tourism has a direct effect on the community of Bacteria and an indirect influence on Fungi and Archaea. By analysing the main driving forces influencing the community composition of the three microbial groups, we highlighted that stochastic factors override dispersal-related processes and environmental selection in show caves compared to undisturbed areas. Thanks to this approach, we provide new perspectives on the dynamics of microbial communities under human disturbance suggesting that a proper understanding of the underlying selective mechanisms requires a comprehensive and multi-taxonomic approach.