Post on 05-Apr-2018
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THE PROJECT OF THE
POZALAGUA CAVE
Topic C: Development of products and
Marketing of Ecotourism
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Bizkaiko Foru
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Name and Surname: Constanza Erkoreka
constanza.erkoreka@bizkaia.net
Institution: Executive Council of Biscay
Department of Tourist Promotion
www.bizkaia.net
Address: Gran Va, 25
48 009 BILBAO (Spain)
Title of the presentation:
The project of new lighting and continuous improvement of
the Pozalagua Cave
Country: Biscay, Basque Country (Spain)
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CONTENTS
Abstract
Bilbao and Biscay: from the industrial era to the post-industrial
sector, from business tourists to holiday tourists (location,
statistical data, tourist boards). Projects.
The project of the Pozalagua Cave: from a natural resource to a
tourist product. Previous difficulties, initial studies, current
process of development, new lighting, continuous improvement
system, plans for the future, promotion and marketing strategies.
Biography
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ABSTRACT
Bilbao and Biscay have recently stopped being an industrial
place to become a region where the Service Sector is gaining
importance, and the Leisure Sector, and therefore the Tourism
Sector, represent an emerging source of income.
Since the opening of the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum in 1997,apart from receiving business tourists, as usual, we began
receiving holiday tourists. The existing infrastructures were not
prepared to receive such a big amount of tourists and to live the
tourist boom of 1998. Now the situation is more stable, the sector
is strengthening gradually.
Urban regeneration process is developing under sustainability
criteria, though the increasing number of green areas, pedestrian
areas, and though the use of non-polluting means of transport.
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Flagships such as the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum and other
cultural institutions like the new Congress Hall Euskalduna andother museums are to be taken into account as well.
Projects in the Natural Parks of Urkiola and Gorbeia, and in the
Biosphere Reserve of Urdaibai help revitalising the countryside
and increasing and diversifying the supply from an ecotourism
point of view.
One of the most relevant projects, the reconditioning of the
Pozalagua Cave, shows how a natural resource can become a very
interesting tourist product in itself and within the area where it is
located. The initial studies undertaken and the different actions
implemented, such as the new lighting system with fibre optic, themonitoring system, the continuous-improvement system and the
promotion and marketing strategies will be explained in this
document.
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BILBAO, BISCAY AND THE BASQUE COUNTRY
Bilbao is a city located in the north of Spain, by the Atlantic Ocean.
The city and its metropolitan area have 1 million inhabitants. The
province of Biscay, where its capital Bilbao is located, has 1.250.000
inhabitants approximately. It is one of the 3 provinces of the Basque
Country, that has nearly 2.500.000 inhabitants.
Heavy industry (coal, steel, iron and shipbuilding) has traditionally been
the most important economic sector of the region, and the Basque Country
has been one of the most important industrial places in Spain.
Recently, and due to the industrial crisis of the 70s and 80s, the
economy has been reconverted into a service sector economy.The Leisure Sector has played a key role in the urban and rural
regeneration process of Biscay, the Basque Country and the north
of Spain.
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The Tourism Sector: from business tourists to holiday tourists
The city of Bilbao and the province of Biscay are an emerging
tourist destination in both the Basque Country and Spain.
Only a few tourists used to come on holiday, but since the opening
of the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum in 1997, the main flagship of
the regeneration process of Bilbao, the city and its surrounding areabecame definitely a destination not only for business tourists but
also for holiday tourists. As a matter of fact, that flagship receives
nearly 1 million visitors per year from Spain, Europe and North
America mainly, maintains approximately 4.000 direct and indirect
jobs in the Basque Country, and is self-financed in a 74.5%.
Hence, the Tourism Sector has radically changed and still is,through the development of new projects and through the
strengthening of promotion and marketing strategies.
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MAIN REASONS FOR VISITING BILBAO - BISCAY-
THE BASQUE COUNTRY
In spite of receiving more holiday tourists, business is still the most
important reason for visiting the region in general. According to the
order of importance, these are the reasons for coming:
- Business: 40%- Fairs and congresses: 21%
- Culture: 20%
- Gastronomy: 7%
- Sports: 6%
- Others: 6%
These data can be seen more clearly in the following graphic:
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BUSINESS(40%)
FAIRS &
CONGRESSES(21%)
CULTURE
(20%)
GASTRONOMY
(6%)
SPORTS AND
OTHERS (13%)
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Regeneration projects in the region
The city of Bilbao and its metropolitan area is currently living a very
important regeneration process through the construction of cultural
buildings such as the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum, theEuskalduna
Music and Congress Hall, the arts centreBilbao Arte, the Sea
Museum, the Basque Mining Museum, and the like.
Sustainable development and respect for the environment are crucialaspects of the urban regeneration process, as the increasing
number of green areas and pedestrian areas, and as the construction
of the Bilbao subway and the use of some other new non-polluting
means of transport like the electric tramway demonstrate.
New projects have been undertaken in the countryside too, such as
the new lighting of the Pozalagua Cave, the Shepherds Centre in
Gorbeia, etc.
Promotion and marketing strategies have been strengthened through
the co-ordination of the following institutions:
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TOURISM INSTITUTIONS IN SPAIN AND THE BASQUE COUNTRY
City Council of Vitoria
City Council of Salvatierra
etc.
PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
Executive Council of Alava
City Council of Bilbao
City Council of Getxo
etc.
PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
Executive Council of Bizkaia
City Council of San Sebastin
City Council of Zarautz
etc.
PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
Executive Council of Gipuzkoa
AUTONOMOUS GOVERNMENTS
Basque GovernmentDepartment of Industry, Commerce
and Tourism
CENTRAL GOVERNMENT
Department of Economy
TOURSPAIN
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THE POZALAGUA CAVE: From a natural resource to a
tourist product
Recently, the Territorial Government of Bizkaias Tourist
Department, together with the Council of Karrantza, carried out a
project in order to enhance the assessment as a tourism resource
and product of the Pozalagua Cave in the area of Karrantza, Las
Encartaciones, western Bizkaia.
The main objectives of the project as set out for its assessment on the
basis of a sustainable form of tourism, which also provides the
opportunity to admire such a prized natural space have deliberately
taken into account the conservation and protection of the caves, with
minimum alterations to the sensitive natural surroundings. A veryinnovative technology has been used for the first time for
conservation and protection of caverns open to the public.
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In allusion to the characteristics of the cave, it was formed insidethe limestone reliefs of the Peas de Ranero mountains, a beautiful
piece of nature in one of the worlds most significant karstic zones
in terms of the size of its caverns. The entrance to the cave is a
recess at the site of the old dolomite mine. The cave consist almost
entirely of a single large chamber 110 m long and approximately
60m wide, reaching a maximum height of almost 20 m. The main
attraction of the Pozalagua Cave is the rich variety of stalactite
formations, although the real stars are its numerous eccentric
stalactites.
In 1991 part of its route was reconditioned and lighted for guided
tours. As of 1998, tourist promotion and conservation have been
carried out in accordance with a Restoration and Classification Plan
for the Pozalagua area, initiated by a number of Basque
institutions.
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The Plan opted to carry out a survey of the cave as the main localtourist attraction, and this allowed several measures to be defined
and executed for the purposes of conservation. The guided tours of
the Pozalagua Cave have doubtless provided some protection from
unmonitored and unauthorised visits which would eventually have
damaged them. The cave is currently visited by over 25.000 people
annually; the entrance has been adapted with steps for the disabled,
and the entire tour is performed with the greatest of ease. The
conditions of the cave are the features of a cavern with an extremely
stable atmosphere, a delicate hydric balance between condensation
and evaporation which controls the slow growth of the dolomite
and calcite crystals.
The first guided tours around the Pozalagua Cave revealed theimportance of protecting such a fragile natural resource from
any changes created.
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The main aim set out was to open the cave to the public in asustainable manner, by maintaining the original conditions of the
cave, by minimising the effects of opening the cave to the public
using a sustainable schedule of visits in relation to the conservation
of the area, by monitoring all aspects of conservation and by en-
hancing the appraisal of the cave as a product in itself, thereby
raising the level of quality provided by the visit.
To reach the above mentioned objectives, the following actions
have been implemented:
- An initial diagnosis, where a preliminary microclimatic and
geochemical survey carried out showed that the cave has main-tained its natural equilibria and that it could receive many visits.
However, the previous lighting system projected excessive
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heat on to the various cave surfaces, allowing a number of vegetable
organisms to grow there and to produce a rapid deterioration process.
- As a consequence of the results of the survey, a new lighting system
for the cave was set up, by replacing the original spotlights by cold
lamps and a fibre optic lighting system transmitting no infra-red or
ultra-violet rays, the main creators of algae in the cave. The new
system has lowered the consumption of electricity by over 30%, sincelighting is no longer provided by intense spotlights, which force the
eyes to adjust continuously. It has just adjusted the luminic intensity of
each section on the tour for progressive adaptation of our eyes to the
light. This is the first time that such innovative technology has been
applied to guided tours around a cave.
- Moreover, a monitoring system continually controls the main
parameters in relation to stability of its equilibria: levels of CO2,
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temperature, relative humidity and atmospheric pressure. The values
detected by sensors are stored in a digital system, andare periodically downloaded on to a computer. Analysis of the
annual cycle of these parameters provides us with the maximum
sustainable level of cave tours and the effects of the tours on the
atmosphere inside.
- Based on the previous surveys, a continuous-improvementsystemhas been implemented for the conservation of the cave, to ensure a
minimum of alterations and effective measures for the purposes of
correction. This system proved possible thanks to the highly
qualified staff connected with the tours (tour guides) and with
maintenance.
- To conclude, a modern laser system sweeping the surface of the
cave has been used to obtain a digital model, for measurements
and the lighting, and for the tours 3-D simulation.
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It is important to point out that the structures providing access to the
caves have an entrance for the disabled over an automatic ramp for
practically the entire tour. We need only to observe the satisfaction
of the children, senior citizens and persons of restricted mobility as they
leave the cave after contemplating a sight that would otherwise be
available to very few people.
On the other hand, substantial improvements have gradually been madeto the communications system in recent years by repairing the road
and the path of access to the cave.
Referring to future actions, plans are being drawn up for a reception
area at the entrance to the cave. This is intended as a unit for the ticket
office, a projection room and a small shop selling brochures andsouvenirs. The entire area will be covered over to protect visitors
on rainy days.
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Promotion and marketing strategies of the Pozalagua Cave
The Pozalagua Cave is a natural resource and from now onwards an
ecotourist product that has to be properly promoted and marketed.
The strategies used in this sense intend to promote the cave in an
area, Karrantza Valley, that has other interesting places to visit too,
such as the BizkaiasEl Carpn Ecology Park, the Venta La Perra
Caves, the San Andrs de Biez Church, the Virgen del BuenSuceso Chapel Sanctuary, the beauty of the landscape, sites of
geological interest, historic monuments such as mansion houses,
industrial heritage like mills and forges, and paths and routes.
In addition to that diverse supply, we cannot forget rural accommo-
dation, the new campsite and theBaos El Molinarspa, togetherwith a few good restaurants, parking facilities and other usual
services.
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The county where the Karrantza Valley is located, Las
Encartaciones, offers a wide range of activities and nice placesto visit as well, such as the private Rolls-Royce collection of the
Loizaga Tower, the Assembly House of Avellaneda, more
palaces, more churches, very beautiful little villages in the
middle of the countryside, and the like.
It is interesting to observe how, in spite of the projects that havebeen carried out, the Karrantza Valley and the county of Las
Encartaciones still keep their authenticity and their cultural
identity.
All those aspects are promoted in a videotape on the valley and
another one on Bizkaia. They are also promoted in generic andspecific brochures that interrelate tourism, nature and culture, in
a CD-Rom, in websites and in different travel guides.
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These advertising leaflets are distributed in tourist offices of the
region and out of the region, and also at the attendance to both
national and international tourism fairs, and with the organisation
of workshops and fam-trips with tour-operators, travel agents and
journalists and incoming services. Advertising campaigns in
different periods of the year in the press, the radio and on
television are to be taken into account too.
On the other hand, the supply of a county needs complementing
with the supply of another county, no matter it is a Natural Park, a
historic town, a fishing village or a city. That is why branding is
important, and the division of a tourist destination into different
areas and with different names becomes a need. In fact, Bizkaia is
structured with the names ofBizkaias Coast,Natural Bizkaia andBilbao and the Metropolitan Area. The activities and tourist
products of each area complement one another.
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Another interesting promotion tool of the Pozalagua Cave and of
other natural and heritage resources in Biscay has been the free
entrance to those places during the celebration of the European
Heritage Day in October 2001.
All these strategies have made a substantial contribution to the
number of visits. The data recorded to date exceeds the number
of visitors of the year 2000 by a 10%. The increase is gradual andvery well controlled.
New projects that are currently taking place, such as the
creation of a Shepherds Centre in the Natural Park of Gorbeia,
or the reconditioning of a roman path in Sopuerta, are being
promoted too as a new tourist supply and as new revitalisationelements of theNatural Bizkaia. The same goes for the
coast and for Bilbao and its metropolitan area.
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BIOGRAPHY
Constanza Erkoreka has a Degree in History, Arts and Political
Science, from the European Universities of St Andrews (UK),
Bolonia (Italy) and Deusto (Bilbao, Spain). She has also a Masters
Degree in European Leisure Studies (Culture, Tourism and Sports)
from the Universities of Brussels (Belgium), Tilburg (Holland),
Loughborough (UK) and Deusto (Bilbao, Basque Country).
After living in different European countries, she worked for a
foundation of a Savings Bank and a foundation of a Trade Bank in
Spain, in the organisation of cultural events. She kept working in the
Leisure Sector, but in a different field: Tourism. Currently she is
the marketing manager of the Tourist Promotion Department of theExecutive Council of Biscay, the government of that region.