Responsible tourism in Poland

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to present the concept of responsible tourism in theory, and present the results of authors’ survey on the awareness of responsible tourism in Poland. Design – Development of the tourist industry often has negative effects on wildlife and local communities, and so for these values which are most valuable in attracting tourist to a particular place. Low tourist culture of travelling persons can result in a situation in which tourism may threaten the foundations of its existence. The responsible tourism seems to be an answer to this problem by focusing on fostering the sense of responsibility of a traveller towards the visited place. Methodology – The methodology of the research includes review of the relevant literature allowing to present the relationship between sustainable tourism and responsible tourism, and to discuss the principles of responsible tourism. The awareness of Polish citizens in that sphere was analysed through the questionnaire survey conducted in 2013. The sampling method used in the survey was a simple random selection. Approach – It becomes a necessity to strive for responsible and sustainable development of the tourism industry and the tourists– to ensure such a development so that we can satisfy a need to travel without picking up future generation such possibility. To achieve this, some actions are needed to preserve natural resources and support local communities - both their economy and culture. We do need a responsible tourism which offers a way to minimize ecological impacts, benefit local communities and reduce poverty - a responsible tourism which is reflected in the way the trips are organized and practiced in the economic, environmental and cultural spheres. Findings – Responsible tourism is still a new trend in Poland. Education on the responsible tourism is particularly important, especially when having in mind that tourists are often attracted by "otherness" of the region which they choose. Through sharing the knowledge, building awareness of cultural and ecological diversity, through controlled sightseeing, the environment which is the biggest tourist attraction, can be protected, nurtured and preserved for future generations. Originality – The originality of the model consists on assessing the level of awareness and behaviour of Polish tourists relating to responsible tourism. To achieve this objective, strictly connected with striving to increase activities in the field of responsible tourism, the authors have developed a framework of such behaviour by determining 30 individual indicators in total, divided into 6 groups.