King, Lisa (2010) The lure of lava tubes: exploring lava tube tourism on the big island of Hawai'i. In: Erfurt-Cooper, Patricia, and Cooper, Malcolm, (eds.) Volcano & Geothermal Tourism: Sustainable Geo-Resources for Leisure and Recreation. Earthscan, London, UK, pp. 67-76.

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Abstract

[Extract] As one of the world's leading holiday destinations, the Hawaiian Islands are renowned for their tropical scenery, luxurious resorts, cultural and historical sites, laid-back lifestyle and diversity of outdoor recreational opportunities. Tourism and outdoor recreation are firmly linked with Hawai'i's iconic geologic features (King, 2010). The volcanic origins of the Hawaiian Islands has produced many well known and well marketed geomorphological attractions across the Hawaiian Islands including Diamond Head Crater, Haleakala, Molokini Crater, Hanauma Bay, Mauna Kea, the Na Pali Coast and the volcanoes of the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park - Mauna Loa and Kilauea. Ongoing volcanic activity on the Big Island of Hawai'i attracts visitors from all over the world to view active lava flows and volcanic landscapes. However, few visitors are familiar with Hawai'i's unique underground volcanic attractions - its lava tube caves.

This chapter introduces lava tube tourism on the Big Island (also known as Hawai'i Island or the Big Island of Hawai'i) and how small group adventure tours assist in promoting lava tube protection and conservation by fostering personal experiences with these unique environments. The chapter begins with a brief orientation to Big Island volcanoes and describes the processes which form lava tubes.The diverse values possessed by Big Island lava tubes are introduced and the human activities threatening these sites are presented. Key lava tubes open to the public and the types of tours offered by entrepreneurial cave entrance owners are discussed. The chapter concludes with a case study of the Pua Po 'o adventure tour conducted by Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park staff and highlights how small group adventure tours can successfully transfer to tour participants the appreciation of, and conservation attitudes towards, Hawaiian lava tubes.

Item ID:	17271
Item Type:	Book Chapter (Research - B1)
ISBN:	978-1-84407-870-7
Keywords:	volcano, geothermal, tourism, volcano and geothermal tourism, volcano tourist, sustainable tourism
Date Deposited:	20 May 2011 05:14
FoR Codes:	15 COMMERCE, MANAGEMENT, TOURISM AND SERVICES > 1506 Tourism > 150699 Tourism not elsewhere classified @ 100%
SEO Codes:	90 COMMERCIAL SERVICES AND TOURISM > 9003 Tourism > 900399 Tourism not elsewhere classified @ 100%
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