Page 263 - Panjek, Aleksander, Jesper Larsson and Luca Mocarelli, eds. 2017. Integrated Peasant Economy in a Comparative Perspective: Alps, Scandinavia and Beyond. Koper: University of Primorska Press
P. 263
tourism as a source of non-agricultural rural income: the case of the karst
ers for hotels and other accommodation, seasonal employees in tourist re-
sorts, carriers etc.). But, until the concrete organisation of the tourism sec-
tor with professional schools for education in tourism (waiter, cook, hotel
worker) and working profiles, we can still not exactly determine the role of
these activities in the achievement of an income outside the primary sector.
The present paper analyses the involvement of the peasant popula-
tion in tourism activities upon available sources, mostly diaries and similar
traveller’s publications, guidebooks, newspapers and literature.
1. Cave tourism
Although mostly negative characteristics were attributed to its natural fe-
atures, such as its bareness and exposure to the bora wind (Shaw 2007), as
described by Louis-Francois Cassas, a French landscape painter: “In these
districts, highly-cultivated land is no longer to be seen: the soil is gravelly,
dry, and barren, and from Senosequia to the valley of the Ruecca its appe-
arance was melancholy in the extreme” (Lavalée 1805, 122), the Karst regi-
on attracted curious visitors, scientists and adventurers already in the pe-
riod before modernisation. In fact, cave tourism firstly developed in the
Karst region of the Slovene territory and represents a unique case of such a
tourist activity (Kavrečič 2015b). Since the local population was acquainted
with the territory, some people were able to guide visitors to the undergro-
und. A payment for this service was given to the guide or guides, who were
commonly mentioned in the travellers diaries. The better known and easi-
er to reach were the most frequently visited. This is the reason why a more
detailed description of the development of the oldest “tourist” cave, Vileni-
ca (near the village of Lokev), in the Slovene territory is going to be presen-
ted. The Vilenica Cave was the most frequented cave in the Early Modern
period, which lasted until the beginning of the 19th century. It is known as
the first “commercial cave” (Shaw and Čuk 2015, 397) in the Slovene terri-
tory. This means that an entrance fee, in addition to the fee for the guides
through the cave and lighting, was collected. In fact in 1633, the owner of
the cave, Count Petazzi left the administration of the cave to the Church of
Lokev and the income from the entrance fees was divided between the Co-
unt and the Church (Habe and Kranjc 1981, 29). We cannot yet talk about a
clear tourist activity, but the collection of an entrance fee besides guiding
and lighting was in fact a good sign of a commercial activity. The question
is why the fee was introduced and divided among them? The main reason
for such a measure was not the sole commercialisation of its visits, but the
261
ers for hotels and other accommodation, seasonal employees in tourist re-
sorts, carriers etc.). But, until the concrete organisation of the tourism sec-
tor with professional schools for education in tourism (waiter, cook, hotel
worker) and working profiles, we can still not exactly determine the role of
these activities in the achievement of an income outside the primary sector.
The present paper analyses the involvement of the peasant popula-
tion in tourism activities upon available sources, mostly diaries and similar
traveller’s publications, guidebooks, newspapers and literature.
1. Cave tourism
Although mostly negative characteristics were attributed to its natural fe-
atures, such as its bareness and exposure to the bora wind (Shaw 2007), as
described by Louis-Francois Cassas, a French landscape painter: “In these
districts, highly-cultivated land is no longer to be seen: the soil is gravelly,
dry, and barren, and from Senosequia to the valley of the Ruecca its appe-
arance was melancholy in the extreme” (Lavalée 1805, 122), the Karst regi-
on attracted curious visitors, scientists and adventurers already in the pe-
riod before modernisation. In fact, cave tourism firstly developed in the
Karst region of the Slovene territory and represents a unique case of such a
tourist activity (Kavrečič 2015b). Since the local population was acquainted
with the territory, some people were able to guide visitors to the undergro-
und. A payment for this service was given to the guide or guides, who were
commonly mentioned in the travellers diaries. The better known and easi-
er to reach were the most frequently visited. This is the reason why a more
detailed description of the development of the oldest “tourist” cave, Vileni-
ca (near the village of Lokev), in the Slovene territory is going to be presen-
ted. The Vilenica Cave was the most frequented cave in the Early Modern
period, which lasted until the beginning of the 19th century. It is known as
the first “commercial cave” (Shaw and Čuk 2015, 397) in the Slovene terri-
tory. This means that an entrance fee, in addition to the fee for the guides
through the cave and lighting, was collected. In fact in 1633, the owner of
the cave, Count Petazzi left the administration of the cave to the Church of
Lokev and the income from the entrance fees was divided between the Co-
unt and the Church (Habe and Kranjc 1981, 29). We cannot yet talk about a
clear tourist activity, but the collection of an entrance fee besides guiding
and lighting was in fact a good sign of a commercial activity. The question
is why the fee was introduced and divided among them? The main reason
for such a measure was not the sole commercialisation of its visits, but the
261
