Title: Geomythology, caves, and tourism: history and future perspectives

Authors: Aleksandar Antić; Adrienne Mayor

Addresses: Faculty of Sciences, Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia ' Classics Department, Stanford University, Building 110 Main Quad, Stanford, CA 94305, USA

Abstract: The main goal of this study is to explore the current understanding of geomythology and its potential interactions and future perspectives in cave tourism destinations. The study includes a theoretical overview of geomythology, ancient stories and myths about the origin and events in caves around the world, the concept of tourist caves (show caves), and the use of geomythology for cave tourism storytelling. Considering the diversity of geomythology and ancient cave myths, it is evident that future cave tourism interpretation should be directed toward searching out mytho-historical narratives that captivate visitors. The analysis showed that geomythology can provide a unique and powerful way to promote and modernise the presentation of special caves for exciting and ethical tourism development.

Keywords: geomythology; caves; cave tourism; storytelling; ancient stories.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTA.2023.130850

International Journal of Tourism Anthropology, 2023 Vol.9 No.2, pp.99 - 112

Received: 26 Jan 2022
Accepted: 14 Dec 2022
Published online: 12 May 2023 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article