Page 271 - 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. 271
tourism as a source of non-agricultural rural income: the case of the karst
could purchase almost three kilograms of bread for one guiding tour. Since
1858 a guide in the Postojna cave received 80 kr. In the same year the price
for meat was 12.5 kr. per pound (22.3 kr. per kg), which means that the guide
could purchase more than 3kg of meat (Melik 1981, 28–32).6
Table 11.1: Prices for bread and beef in the first half of the 19th century in Ljubljana
Year Price for a kg of bread Price for a pound of beef
1820 (in kr.) * (in kr.)
1830 3.4 6.0
1840 4.4 5.6
1850 4.7 7.7
5.5 9.8
Note: The prices are in guldens and kreuzers (konvenkcijske valute; Conventionsmünze) that were
used until 1858.
Another comparison can be made with the number of visitors, where
an assessment of the annual income from guiding can be estimated. If we
take into account the year 1869, when the population survey took place,
Postojna was inhabited by 1701 people (836 men and 865 women) living
within 199 households (Bevölkerung 1872). In that year the Postojna cave
was visited by 3,927 tourists. Since two guides were required for one to four
visitors and if we suppose that visitors mostly came in groups (in a way to
share costs as also recommended by tourist guidebooks), we suggest that
one guide usually guided two visitors. In this case a total earning from
guiding in the year 1869 would amount to 157,080 kr. In order to illustrate
the importance of the income from guiding for local inhabitants, the total
amount of this income may be divided with the number of households in
the same year. The result represents an estimate of an average annual in-
come from cave guiding, considering that all the households would partici-
pate in this activity. In 1869 that income would amount to 789.35 kr.
By making the same calculation for the year 1880, when Postojna’s
population was 1621 (773 men and 848 women; Special-Orts-Repertorium
1884) and the cave was visited by 4547 tourists, the amount of earnings from
guiding would have been 181,880 kr. To check what such an amount of mon-
fixed for every month – published monthly by the district office. The bread is 3/4 of
rye and ¼ of wheat flour.
6 Although the peasant population, involved in this activity was producing this kind
of product at home, this comparison was still made to indicate what a person could
afford to buy for this kind of occupation.
269
could purchase almost three kilograms of bread for one guiding tour. Since
1858 a guide in the Postojna cave received 80 kr. In the same year the price
for meat was 12.5 kr. per pound (22.3 kr. per kg), which means that the guide
could purchase more than 3kg of meat (Melik 1981, 28–32).6
Table 11.1: Prices for bread and beef in the first half of the 19th century in Ljubljana
Year Price for a kg of bread Price for a pound of beef
1820 (in kr.) * (in kr.)
1830 3.4 6.0
1840 4.4 5.6
1850 4.7 7.7
5.5 9.8
Note: The prices are in guldens and kreuzers (konvenkcijske valute; Conventionsmünze) that were
used until 1858.
Another comparison can be made with the number of visitors, where
an assessment of the annual income from guiding can be estimated. If we
take into account the year 1869, when the population survey took place,
Postojna was inhabited by 1701 people (836 men and 865 women) living
within 199 households (Bevölkerung 1872). In that year the Postojna cave
was visited by 3,927 tourists. Since two guides were required for one to four
visitors and if we suppose that visitors mostly came in groups (in a way to
share costs as also recommended by tourist guidebooks), we suggest that
one guide usually guided two visitors. In this case a total earning from
guiding in the year 1869 would amount to 157,080 kr. In order to illustrate
the importance of the income from guiding for local inhabitants, the total
amount of this income may be divided with the number of households in
the same year. The result represents an estimate of an average annual in-
come from cave guiding, considering that all the households would partici-
pate in this activity. In 1869 that income would amount to 789.35 kr.
By making the same calculation for the year 1880, when Postojna’s
population was 1621 (773 men and 848 women; Special-Orts-Repertorium
1884) and the cave was visited by 4547 tourists, the amount of earnings from
guiding would have been 181,880 kr. To check what such an amount of mon-
fixed for every month – published monthly by the district office. The bread is 3/4 of
rye and ¼ of wheat flour.
6 Although the peasant population, involved in this activity was producing this kind
of product at home, this comparison was still made to indicate what a person could
afford to buy for this kind of occupation.
269
