Speleotourism in Slovenia: balancing between mass tourism and geoheritage protection

Slovenia, recognized as the birthplace of karst geotourism, has over 12,000 caves, with 22 designated as tourist sites. A study using the M-GAM model assessed 10 of these caves to inform future management strategies. Key findings reveal that visitors prioritize natural values and prefer caves with minimal infrastructure, emphasizing protection status. The research highlights the pivotal role of Postojna Cave and Škocjan Caves in geotourism, with Škocjan's regional park management serving as a model for balancing mass tourism and geoheritage preservation.

Tičar, J., Tomić, N., Breg Valjavec, M., Zorn, M., Marković, S. B., & Gavrilov, M. B. (2018). Speleotourism in Slovenia: balancing between mass tourism and geoheritage protection. Open Geosciences, 10(1), 344–357. https://doi.org/10.1515/geo-2018-0027