Our Future Environment

Commercial cave tours are mostly walk through, dramatically lit and impressive rooms meant to inform visitors of the value in caves. Although caving is not a widely commercial venture it does have a small percentage of “wild cave tours”. These type of tours cost upwards of US$50 a person and are geared towards physically fit but inexperienced adventures. U.S. caves owned by cave conservancies or managed by local residents do not allow “cave-for-pay” because of legal liabilities. Wild cave tours are usually run by the state or national park service.
People who define themselves as cavers recognize that continued access to caves must involve local owners and an emphasis on conservation. Stated earlier, the Ecotourism Society defines eco-tourism as travel to natural areas that minimizes ecosystem impacts and provides local people with a financially vested stake in conservation. In this sense, even if the percentage of commercial caving opportunities is low, caving is eco-tourism. Most of the recognized drawbacks to developing ecotourism– adverse impacts on wildlife and fragile ecosystems from nature-based ecotourism, few economic benefits to local people and to protected areas, and aggravated conflicts over access to resources– have all been argued as reasons not to increase the commercial side of caving. However, and somewhat ideally, the anti-commercial attitude among cavers already promotes nonconsumptive use of and appreciation for the natural and cultural resources in a cave and contributes attention and revenue to local conservation efforts while also providing economic opportunities for local residents.

Filed under: caves, anthro of property, natural landscape on April 22nd, 2008