What is it about?
Poland is a member of the European Union from 01 May 2004. The aim of this study was to examine how do tourism and recreation develop in Poland after EU integration. In the analyzed period it is observed a particularly large increase in local government’s spending on tourism and expenditure of foreigners visiting Poland, as well as the increase in the number of passengers at airports. On the other hand, significantly reduced the number of tourist guides, travel agents and the number of foreign travels of Poles. It is difficult to determine which changes occurred as a direct result of Polish accession to the European Union, which arose from other causes. However, one may assume that among the many factors influencing the situation in domestic tourism market, regulations relating to accession and the inflow of grants from the European Union were of leading importance. At the same time the accession could speed up some processes, and certainly it launched a series of long-term transformation, the effects of which can be observed in the future.
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Why is it important?
There were studied changes which appeared in tourism and recreation in Poland after EU accession. The largest increase relates to local governments’ spending on tourism, foreign tourist expenditures, both per person and per day of stay and the number of passengers at airports. Significantly reduced the number of tourist guides and travel agencies, as well as the number of foreign tourist arrivals of Poles. The situation in the Polish tourism was affected by the harmonization of Polish law with EU one in the field of tourism and the inflow of EU funds, which, however, the final results can be observed in the future.
Perspectives
Polish membership in the EU cannot be seen in an isolation from other socio-economic processes. Integration takes place simultaneously with the process of globalization, but also with previously taken economic policy, aiming to join the EU. At the same time it is difficult to determine which changes in presented indicators in recent years occurred as a direct result of accession of Poland to the European Union, which arose from other causes. However, one can assume that among the many factors influencing the situation in the tourism regulations, the flow of funds from the European Union created the impetus for the development of the domestic tourism market. Accession could accelerate certain processes and certainly launched a number of long-term transformation, which can be inferred indirectly. In some areas there was observed spectacular growth, including in the expenditures of local governments on tourism. Increased spending did not cause a proportional increase in the number of tourists coming to the Polish market. It can be assumed that this is due to the global crisis and impacts globally regardless of membership (or lack of such membership) of particular countries to national economic areas.
Prof. KAAFM dr hab. Izabela Kapera
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Tourism in Poland following EU entry, Bulletin of Geography Socio-economic series, January 2013, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.2478/bog-2013-0031.
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