Author: Paul Iacobas (Apuseni Experience) Presentation for Topic 4: Product Development Strategies for Better Visitor Experience 2nd European Ecotourism Conference 23-25 October 2013, Romania

1. Show cave tourism in Romania
A responsible approach
www.padureacraiului.ro
Center for protected Areas and Sustainable
Development Bihor, member of AER

2. Potential ecotourism destinations in Romania
Center for protected Areas and Sustainable
Development Bihor, Member of AER

3. Pădurea Craiului – Western Carpathians
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Protected Areas:
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Natura 2000 Pădurea Craiului – Defileul
Crișului Repede
Unique selling points: caves and karst phenomena,
local traditions, perfect for hiking and biking
Tourism infrastructure :
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4 show caves
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2 thematic routes
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Marked routes for hiking and trekking
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Visitor center
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Climbing routes
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River rafting
Center for Protected Areas and Sustainable
Development Bihor, Member of AER

4. Our vision
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to create a model for local economical development, in
line with the needs for protecting the environment and
the needs of local communities
to provide a quality visitor experience and to facilitate
the understanding of how a karst system works
to provide stable and fair paid jobs to the locals as
well as additional incomes for local producers
To develop self sustaining activities and to invest the
funds created in the implementation of our mission
(mainly related with the management of the Natura
2000 site Padurea Craiului
Center for Protected Areas and Sustainable Development
Bihor, Member of AER

5. Old model
• Obsolete cave lightning, with warm light,
which have a negative impact in the cave
micro climate
• Pathways made out of concrete and iron
• Impersonal way of guiding as well as lack
of other interpretation opportunities for
visitors
• Cave visits are taken place without taking
in consideration the need for long term
protection of the cave habitat and species
(number of visitors, number of groups,
periods of visits, etc )
Center for Protected Areas and Sustainable Development
Bihor, Member of AER

6. Meziad Cave
One of the largest cave in the Western
Carpathians-7000 meters
The second largest bat colony in Romania
(8 species)
It has many archeological and paleontology
discoveries
A true underground cathedral
Center for Protected Areas and Sustainable Development
Bihor, Member of AER

7. Meziad Cave
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Developed for tourism access since the 19th
century, with very basic facilities, some of them
with negative impact in the environment
In 2012; we managed to re-arranged it with new
technologies, including LED light systems as well
as pathways made out of plastic reinforced with
glass fiber
We improved the route, in order to avoid several
bat colonies, now the route has 1100 meters, the
longest route of this kind in Romania
The project was supported by the Romanian
American Foundation and Romanian Partnership
Foundation, in the framework of the “Green
Entrepreneurship” Program
Center for Protected Areas and Sustainable Development
Bihor, Member of AER

8. Crystal Cave from Farcu Mine
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It has been discovered in 1987, in a former bauxite mine;
Soon after, 70 % of it was destroyed by the locals
It used to be a “geode”, closed cave (no links with the surface)
The access in the cave is done through a mine gallery of 250 m;
It is famous for the presence of calcite crystals;
Center for Protected Areas and Sustainable Development
Bihor, Member of AER

9. Crystal Cave from Farcu Mine
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Like in Meziad Cave, we arranged the cave with new technologies
(LED lightning and pathways made from plastic reinforced with
fiber glass)
Along with the cave itself, in the mine gallery we arranged a small
mining museum
At the surface, we developed a thematic route “Discover Rosia
Valley” with 5 information panels (mining, karst, wildlife, forest,
etc) and a viewpoint
We had also arranged a 80 meters long Tyrolean traverse as a start
point for a future adventure park
The main project has been supported by GEF SGP (UNDP) along
with local commune hall and other donors
Center for Protected Areas and Sustainable Development
Bihor, Member of AER

10. Results and
outcomes
• Two “new” show caves arranged for the public in a way that
minimize the impact in the environment and enhance the visitor
experience
• 8 new permanent jobs creates and more than 10 temporary jobs
• More than 30.000 (happy) visitors/year
• Both caves provide yearly aprox. 25,000 euros profit, which will be
invested in the management of the Natura 2000 site Padurea Craiului
• Another aprox. 40,000 euros/year are going to the two commune halls
that supported the projects (Rosia and Remetea)
Center for Protected Areas and Sustainable Development
Bihor, Member of AER

11. Challenges
Despite the good results so far, we still
have several challenges to tackle:
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Groups size: most of the so called
“organized groups” are larger than 15
people, which is usually the acceptable
number in ecotourism. We still need to
find a balance of accepting larger
groups (especially in Meziad cave,
which is suitable for larger groups) and
protection of the environment and the
quality of the visitor experience
Guiding: we still lack specific
interpretation guiding and techniques
for each of the target group coming to
visit the caves
Center for Protected Areas and Sustainable Development
Bihor, Member of AER

12. Challenges
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Recreational facilities and opportunities for serving meals or snacks:
Community impact: with an average of 4 full time jobs and another 5
temporary jobs/community, we still need to find ways to bring more economic
benefits in the area, especially to the regular local people.
We still need to develop an (eco)tourism destination in the area, in order to be
able to provide the opportunities for eco tourists and not only for them to
experience the region, to enhance the quality of the visitor experience and also
to support the locals to have a better live
Center for Protected Areas and Sustainable Development
Bihor, Member of AER

13. THANK YOU!