Turismo em cavernas e as representações do mundo subterrâneo

Abstract

This paper aims to identify and analyse the meanings inherent in the tourist experiences in caving. The studies related to the definition and classification of the speleotourism lead to a wide range of situations and motivations that stimulate the ones who practice it from a simple form of leisure and entertainment to the ones who are in search of unique sensations and a bigger involvement with under ground environment. Dealing with this last category , the caves visitors whose practice is different from the mass tourism, this study presents aspects such as spatial-temporal configuration and its influence on the perception and habits of this under ground environment, showing how these experiences tend to interfere into the Speleotourists sensibility as well as determine new relations with the Other and the nature.

Keywords

• Speleo-tourism
• Mental representation
• Environmental perception
• New sensibility