Microclimate characteristics and tourist carrying capacity of Phong Nha cave, Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park

Tóm tắt

Cave tourist carrying capacity is the maximum number of people who can visit a cave at certain time without causing irreversible damage to the natural environment. The tourist carrying capacity of Phong Nha Cave was determined for the first time based on the cave's microclimate indicator using the Lobo method. The temperature, relative humidity (RH), and carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations in the Phong Nha cave were regularly measured during the summer and winter of 2023. Continuous monitoring of the cave temperature was also conducted, with measurements taken every 5 minutes. The results of regular and continuous temperature monitoring in Phong Nha Cave in 2023 indicated that the total time for temperature recovery in summer and winter was 497 minutes and 318 minutes, respectively. The limit of visitor according to three tourism scenarios is 1260, 2520, and 3780 people per day, respectively. The average time of stay at Dong Tien is 7.8 minutes in summer and 12.7 minutes in winter. These new results provide valuable reference information for the management and conservation of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park and should be recommended for use in assessing tourist carrying capacity in other show caves in Vietnam.