DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN GREATER POLAND:
ADAPTATION OF SELECTED INDICATORS FROM THE EUROPEAN TOURISM
INDICATOR SYSTEM
Anna Królikowska-Tomczak
Jan Amos Komenski State Higher Vocational School in Leszno,
Institute of Tourism
Poznan University of Technology, Institute of Inginiery of
Management, Poland
Abstract: Europe, from the beginning of the history of
contemporary tourism, has been the main tourist destination in
the world. In the 21st century we are facing several changes
regarding tourism development trends: globalization and
individualization at the same time, culture and sport, local
culture and international links. One of the strongest trends in
tourism is that Europe is beginning to lose its prominence as a
tourist destination. It still accounts for over 51 % of
international tourist arrivals (UNWTO Tourism Highlights 2013:
2) but is developing less dynamically than other destinations.
Europe wants and needs to maintain its competitive position.
This can be obtained by developing tourism in a sustainable
way. As tourism is an important sector of the European Union's
economy, the European Commission on Tourism has commissioned a
document, a kind of guide, known as the European Tourism
Indicator System, which aims to contribute to improving the
sustainable management of destinations by providing tourism
stakeholders with an easy and useful toolkit.
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The aim of the article is to show the need for
sustainability in developing tourism, in Greater Poland as
well, and identify some key issues that need to be introduced
to achieve this state. It is based on the analysis of the
European Tourism Indicator System and its adaptation for
Greater Poland. The article also aims to show the achievements
of this region in the sustainable development of tourism, as
well as the failures.
Keywords: Sustainable development, destinations management
INTRODUCTION
Great Poland – bringing the region near
Great Poland or Grater Poland (both names are being used in
English) is one of 16 Polish provinces as well as historical
region and geographically - Lake District, situated in the
heart of Poland and Europe as well. As far as it name is
concerned, it has historical origins. In the middle ages the
first state structures of Poland had been created and first
capital settled on the territory of today’s Great Poland. As
Latin was its language, its name was Polonia. Its etymology
comes probably from the description of tribes settling this
area, called Poles (Polans). Later on, when the capital of Poland
had been relocated and transferred to Cracovia ( Cracow) to show
the historical sequence, the area of today’s Great Poland was
named in latin Polonia Maior ( the first, the older) and the
neighborhood of Cracow – Polonia Minor ( the younger). Now
days, its inhabitants are proud about the history of the
region which is the oldest part of Poland, the region where
polish state actually had been settled. What is Great Poland
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in the XXI century? What have we preserved from this
“greatness”? Let’s try to prove that quite a lot.
Socio demographic profile of Great Poland
The population of Great Poland is 3, 4 million people, which
is 9% of the population of Poland. The number of inhabitants
in Greater Poland tends to rise, which could be an argument
regarding its attractiveness (it has a positive migration
balance). The population of the region is comparatively young
– 20 % is aged between 18-39 years old. The population of
urban areas is about 1, 9 million people, and accordingly, 1,
6 million lives in rural areas. Great Poland used to be called
an “agricultural land” due to the percentage of rural
landscape. Poznan – the capital of the region is one of the
biggest cities in Poland, with 550, 7 thousands of inhabitants
(5th in Poland). The rate of registered unemployment is
comparatively low – due to GUS ( Main Statistic Office of
Poland) in the end of December 2013 it was 9,8 % in Great
Poland and about 4% in the capital –Poznan. The GDP rate in
Great Poland is 103, 8% of the average national GDP( based on
GUS Poznan, 2013). According to “Social Diagnosis of Poland
2013” ( Czapiński J. Panek T. 2013) Poznan is the third best
city to live in Poland – after Warsaw and Torun.
Table 1. Poznan and Great Poland in the rank of cities and
regions
Feature Poznan(the number represents place in the rank of cities according to the given feature)
Great Poland(the number represents place in the rank of regions accordingto the given feature)
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Civilizationlevel
2 8
Social wellbeing 11 8Material/ financial wellbeing
5 10
Social capital 4 11Physicalwellbeing
8 6
Mental wellbeing 1 2Source: based on “Social Diagnosis of Poland 2013” ( Czapiński J. Panek T.
2013)
According to the National Report on Social Development ( 2012)
created on the basis of research conducted for The Ministry of
Regional Development Great Poland is placed as the 4th region
in Poland due to LHDI ( Local Human Development Index).
Geography
Great Poland is situated centrally in Poland, with a very good
communicational connections to the Western Europe (the distance
Poznan – Berlin is about 240 km).
Picture 1: Situation of Great PolandSource: pl.wikipedia.org
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Picture 2: Situation of Great PolandSource: www.targeo.pl
The surface of Great Poland is 29 826,51 km² and this is
second, after Mazowsze Region (Warsaw) , biggest region in
Poland. It surface can be compared to the surface of Belgium or
Brandenburg region in Germany. There are two major geographic
regions: a lake district in the north, characterized by post-
glacial lakes and hills, and a rather flat plain in the south.
There are 13 natural parks and 1 national park, which represent
and protect post- glacial landscape. Natural parks have various
character, most of them represent natural landscape with lakes
and forests. Generally, these areas have a strong potential for
developing various forms of active tourism. The average
forestation of the region is about the national average, which
is 27%. There are some areas, though, especially in the
northern part of the region, where the forestation reaches 50%
of the surface.
Tourism and tourist attractions
Although Great Poland does not have such a strong tourism brand
as polish coastline or mountains it is consequently building
its tourist image. There have been a few very interesting brand
tourism product created and are promoted on the national and
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international market. Following resent tourism trends worldwide
these products face the need of ambitious and aware travelling
and give the possibility to experience the region, get to know
its culture, cuisine and nature. The Regional Tourism
Organization – WOT (Wielkopolska Organizacja Turystyczna)
provides potential tourist with publications regarding various
tourist product in several languages – English, German, Russian
and French. One can choose from the vast range of attractions –
from active (water, bike, equestrian) tourism, wooden
architecture trails, railway tourism, protected areas tourism,
family outgoing and more. Most popular and interesting tourist
attractions of Great Poland have been presented in the table
below.
Table 2. Most interesting tourist attractions in Great Poland:chosen examples
Poznan: the capital ofthe region
Monuments of all architecture styles, from early medievalCathedral, Renaissance Town hall, parish Baroque Church ofSt. Mary Madeline to modern architecture examples likeknown worldwide The Center of Old Brewery, sport andcultural events, 8 theaters, galleries, museums ect.
Other cities :cultural centers
Kalisz- known as the oldest city in Poland ( firstmentioned by Ptolomeus in his chronicle )Gniezno – with its Gothic Cathedral, known as thenecropolis of polish kings and the place of the baptism ofPoland (potential)Leszno – with its baroque old market square, baroque townhall and churches, known for its mulitireligiouscharacter in the past, with one of the best preservedlapidarium
Natural sites
13 Natural Parks, 1 National Park, over 100 naturereserves
Monuments of technique
Wolsztyn – the Locomotive Depot: wit 13 working enginesand “ Beautiful Helena “ among them – the fastest polishsteam engineNarrow Gauge Railway of Gniezno, Trolley Railway ofKrzywin, Grodzisk
Castles, palaces and country mansions
Antonin – the haunting lounge , wooden palace from XIXcenturyGołuchów – inspired by Loire Castles, with picturesquepark surroundingsRogalin – Baroque palace from the end of XVIII century,
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with beautiful French and English gardenMuseums and heritage parks
Dziekanowice, Wielkopolska Ethnographic Park: representingthe countryside architecture, dated from XVI till XIXcentury, one of the biggest in EuropeSoplicowo Movie Park: the most know polish poet, AdamMickiewicz, used to visit Wielkopolska during hislifetime: in the 1990ties there was a movie created byAndrzej Wajda based on his art. The park is the scenery ofthe moviePuszczykowo: Museum and Work Studio of Arkady Fidler, -polish travelerRakoniewice, The Wielkopolska Museum of FirefightingSzreniawa: The National Museum of Agriculture and FoodIndustry
Source: the author’s own study
From the institutional point of view, it seems that tourism in
Great Poland is gaining more attention of the local
authorities. In the Strategy of Development of the City of
Poznan 2030 one of the strategic objectives is “increasing the
importance of the city as the center of knowledge, culture,
tourism and sports”. One from the eighteen operational programs
is called “ Touristic Poznan” and its priorities are:
obtaining the rank of international center of culture and
tourism , and
creating one of the leading centers of urban and culture
tourism on the national and European level.
As far as the tourist infrastructure is concerned – it is
constantly developing (there were 703 hotels and motels,
offering 42,3 thousands of beds). The number of tourist
accommodated in thus was 1 616, 5 thousands. The number of
foreign tourists accommodated was 269, 7 thousands. Most of
them were German, other nations that tend to visit Great Poland
are: Dutch, British, Spanish, Swedish, Lithuanian, Italian
(based on Wielkopolskie Voviodship , 2013) There are some
innovative projects realized on the tourism field, some of them
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–like GPSWielkopolska supported with EU funds. The GPS
Wielkopolska is the system that enables getting to know the
region using tools co-working with Global Positioning System.
It contains information about the region, its tourist
attractions, facilities, maps. It offers an innovativen way of
visiting the region.
Quality of life in Great Poland
The perception of the quality of life may vary due to some
personal preferences and characteristics. Generally, describing
quality of life we should take into account a few zones of
everyday life, as well as the perspectives for a change ( for
better). There had been led a very interesting research on it
by the City of Poznan and Poznan University of Adam Mickiewicz.
The research has a continued character and have been realized
for 8 years (2002 -2010). The last report presents very
interesting data regarding quality of life, some of which is
strongly connected with sustainable development of the region.
The report states that the general appreciation of the life
situation among the population of Poznan is very positive. The
trend from 2004 (when the firs research had been led) is
rising. Regarding the possibilities offered by the city to its
inhabitants – the highest results has been achieved in the
field of cultural offer, education (40 tertiary schools in
Great Poland, 27 in Poznan) and leisure. The worst opinion was
given about medical services and the health zone. Another
feature that was assessed quite well was public transportation
– especially the net of connections. On the other hand, the
individual car transportation was rated very low. Bike
transportation was assessed on an average level- but the trend
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in this case is favorable: the development of the net of bike
ways can be observed almost everywhere in Poznan and the
region. The general safety is described as good, as well as the
cleanness of the everyday surroundings.
Regarding the environment the opinion of the respondents should
be compared to the objective indicators: this confrontation is
presented in the table below.
Table 3. The condition of an environment in Greater Poland.
Opinion of the respondents Objective indicatorsAir pollution: described byrespondents as “ average”
Number of days during theyear with the indicators ofPM10 surpassed is raising:in 2009 it was 67 days,while 2005 - 42
Noise level – described byrespondents as “ average”,in the city center – as “very bad”
During the day – 58 % of thecity surface is influencedby the noise of 70,1-75 Dbwhich is a borderline of thenorm
The quantity of waste: thecleanness in theneighborhood, of streetsparks and forests wasdescribed as generally good
The number of the municipialwaste collected per personfor the whole region is muchhigher and equals 270 kg peryear ( still much lower thanaverage in the UE)
The water cleanness and itsusage:Generally described asaverage, particularly –water in Poznan lakes wasassessed as bad and waterin Warta river – very badThe usage of water hasfallen down
The quantity of theindustrial and municipalwaste water has increased,and reached 238 hm3 in 2013The usage of water perperson in 2010 equaled 41m3, which was comparativelylow ( 2004 – 47 m3)
Source: authors own study based on Jakość życia mieszkańców miasta Poznaniaand Rocznik Statystyczny Województwa Wielkopolskiego, 2013
There were a lot of different aspects of everyday life
presented and assessed by the inhabitants of Poznan, compared,
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when possible to the whole region and confronted to the
objective indicators. To sum up this part there is one more,
very positive thing to quote – the inhabitants of Poznan
describe their connection to the city as very high and the
willing to move out as very low.
Great Poland as a one of the first polish regions started to
consequently build its brand. In the XXI century, when the
competition is not only between companies, but – maybe even
more likely among regions, it is essential to build a
recognizable image. The idea of creating the vision of “
innovative Great Poland “ must be built in a complex way,
connecting various fields of everyday life. Innovation on the
level of everyday life is changing for better, facilitating..
This change can be obtained by sustainable development of the
region.
Tourism as one of the main tools of region’s development
Tourism is a multi-sector industry, influencing a big
diversity of services, professions, companies and individuals.
Its economic impact is undoubtedly vast, depending on the
characteristic of the region: it may yield from about 4–5 %
(Poland) up to 70 % of a country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP;
the highest share of tourism in countries’ GDP is being noticed
in the case of emerging and island countries). On the global
scale tourism industry is one of the largest and most dynamic
industries in today’s economy, expected to generate about 9 %
of total GDP and provide for more than 235 million jobs in
2010, representing 8 % of global employment. Global Travel &
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Tourism direct contribution to GDP grew by a robust 3.2 % in
2012. This was faster than the growth of the world economy as
whole (2.3 %), and also faster than the growth of a number of
broad industries including manufacturing, financial and
business services, and retail.(Economic Impact of Travel and
Tourism 2013: 2–3)
Since 1950s we are facing constant development of tourism
industry on a very large scale – caused by globalization,
socio-political changes, and evolution in transport . It seems
quite unbelievable, but the number of international tourists
increased from 25 million in the 1950 to 1,035 million in 2012.
The dynamism of growth and the future perspectives for tourism
are shown on the figure below.
Figure 1. International Tourist Arrivals 1950–2030Source: www.unwto.org
Over the past six decades, tourism experienced continuous
expansion and diversification, becoming one of the largest and
fastest growing sectors in the world. This increasing dimension
of tourism is quite convincing that tourism is the key driver
of the socio-economic progress through export revenues, the
creation of jobs and enterprises, and infrastructure
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development in most regions of the world. Owing to its research
and long term observations, the United Nations World Tourism
Organization (UNWTO) claims that international tourist arrivals
worldwide will increase by 3.3 % a year from 2010–2030 to reach
1.8 billion by 2030. This increase will be even greater for
emerging economies, estimated at 4.4 % per year, which is also
a great chance to balance the differences between regions
within Europe and in the whole World (based on UNWTO Tourism
Highlights 2013). Regarding Europe, tourism is a very important
sector of its economy. It supports economic growth and
employment. It generates more than 5 % of the European Union’s
GDP, with about 1.8 million enterprises employing 5.2 % of the
total labor force (approximately 9.7 million jobs, including a
significant number of young people, which seems to be very
important these days, when we are facing very high unemployment
in this sector) (Enhancing the competitiveness of tourism in
the EU 2013: 4). Should the related sectors be taken into
account, the estimated contribution of tourism to GDP creation
is considerably higher: tourism indirectly generates more than
10 % of the GDP of the European Union (EU) and accounts for 12%
of the labor force (Enhancing of competitiveness 2013: 6).
Tourism represents the third largest socioeconomic activity in
the EU after the trade and distribution and construction
sectors (Europe, the world’s No 1 destination – a new political
Framework for tourism In Europe 2010: 5) Tourism may provide
socioeconomic integration , particularly of mountain and rural
areas and islands, by generating growth and employment.
Forecasts by UNWTO suggest that international tourist arrivals
in Europe will increase by up to 717 million by the 2020,
meaning that the number of international tourist arrivals will
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have doubled over the two decades between 2000–2020. Yet in
today’s reality, Europe must focus on maintaining its
leadership as a tourism destination on the global scale. To
face the global competition and the rising popularity of other
destinations, Europe must offer sustainable and high-quality
product, playing on its comparative advantages, in particular
the diversity of its countryside and the extraordinary cultural
wealth (Europe… 2010: 6). Although in 2013 the growth of
international tourist arrivals in Europe exceeded the previous
forecast and grew by 6 %, there are regions in the World that
are developing at the same rate, like Asia and Pacific, North
Africa with 6 % of growth, or even much faster – South East
Asia with its growth of 12 %. Still, the average growth on the
global scale was 5%. One of the biggest challenges for Europe
is to improve sustainable tourism development in order to
maintain the long term competitiveness of the industry. In 2012
Europe reached 534 million of tourist arrivals, which is 52 %
of total international arrivals worldwide. Such numbers must
impress: they must also influence – on a very different level.
There are many positive sides: general development, rising
quality of the product, developing infrastructure, improving
the quality of life of the inhabitants. Today, the tourist
product must be seen in a very broad and complex way: the
common definition of tourism product, explaining it as a number
of services offered to the customer to fit his touristic needs,
does not necessarily seem complete. The tourist product today
not only fulfills needs but also includes one’s impression and
perception of the destination. Would we rather spend time in a
clean area with efficient public transportation or admire
landscapes over the tons of garbage and stuck in a traffic jam?
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The better is the general perception of the quality of the
destination, the higher does the probability of the tourist
satisfaction become in general. Thus, such an understanding of
tourist product explains so the multidimensional influence of
tourism development in tourism. To succeed today, we need to
treat tourism as a field of cooperation between the private and
public sectors. Improving public space is just as important as
increasing the quality of services. Such a way of understanding
and developing tourist product at the destination must also
serve local communities. On the other hand, there are some
serious threats, especially when tourism develops dynamically
but spontaneously, without any strategy of (sustainable)
development. The basic theoretical SWOT analysis of the
development of tourism in a region can be seen in the table
below.
Table 2. The SWOT analysis of developing tourism in a regionStrengths Weaknesses
Positive impact on economyon distinct levels:national, regional and localDevelopment ofinfrastructure, such astransportation,construction, mediaIncreased quality of life ofthe inhabitants, whiledeveloped in a sustainableway
Lack of tourist virtues(natural and cultural)Rising prices for locals aswellIncreased populationdensity, traffic
Opportunities ThreatsPossibility of multidimensional developmentDeveloping labor market by creating new jobs, fighting unemployment amongst young people in particular (Spain,Greace)Creating a regional brand
Basing economy on tourismmay incur some risk: whenthis sector collapses, dueto some external factors, itinfluences the wholeindustry (revolution inEgypt, Icelandic volcanoeruption)Negative influence of mass
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tourism on natural andcultural heritage, e.g.,among the 44 Endangered WordHeritage sites there areseveral places facing masstourism problem (the BarrierReef in Belize, the Old Cityof Jerusalem, Chan ChanArcheological Area, Peruetc.)Negative influence on localsocieties caused bytourists: sex-tourism inThailand, spreadingalcoholism or drugs
Source: the author’s own study
We need to learn how to maximize the advantages and minimize
the disadvantages: to obtain the balance between the tourism
development and the socio – cultural and natural environment of
the hosting regions, our tourist destinations. The question is
how shall we do it? There is one of a few key words:
sustainability.
Sustainable tourism development – the need or the tool to build
the competitive predominance?
As presented in the previous parts of the article, one can
be certain that tourism is a very important part of the EU and
worldwide economy, although it cannot be underestimated as a
sociological and cultural activity as well. In the past and
present decades, we have been facing several changes in our
reality (socio-demographic, economic, ecological). In order to
follow these changes, tourism needs to face several challenges
and to succeed in converting them into opportunities. One of
the most important factors seems to be the adaptation to social
developments that will influence tourist demands. Which are
they? One of the most discussed and described changes is that
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within the next 10 years (or less) – until 2020 – the number of
persons aged over 65 is expected to rise and reach 20 % of the
population of Europe. It means that the sector of “silver head”
individuals is becoming a very strong part of the demand,
especially having both the purchase power and a lot of leisure
time (hopefully). This significant sector is going to bring
about several changes to meet its particular needs. Another
dynamically rising sector of tourism demand consists of
tourists with reduced mobility. It is obvious that their needs
require some effort, beginning with public space and
accommodation, tourist attraction accessibility, and other
services offered on tourism market. This should lead to
equality in tourism service accessibility, which is an
important part of sustainable tourism development and
management. The other process, but not less important – and
often probably even more commonly associated with
sustainability – is reducing the influence of climate and
natural environment. The key actions here are coping with the
scarcity of water supplies, maintaining biodiversity – namely
protecting species, inhabitants, and whole natural areas, as
well as minimizing the greenhouse gas emissions. The cultural
heritage is often endangered by mass tourism development as
well. This is also one of the key actions to be undertaken in
building the strategy of sustainable tourism development:
protecting the cultural sites that are the legacy of our past
and our heritage for the future generations.
In these circumstances European tourism is bound to evolve.
Some of the European regions have already implemented modern
and sustainable strategies of tourism development, while there
is a lot of regions that seem to develop tourism in a
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spontaneous way, counting incomes without seeing costs (even if
not countable today, extremely likely to appear in the near
future). To answer the seemingly rhetorical question whether
introducing sustainable tourism development strategy is the
need or the tool of building the competitive predominance, it
is the absolute need. And the time to act is now.
Do we actually know what sustainable development of tourism is?
Probably there are many more ways than one of
understanding the sustainability in tourism. One could say that
it is recognizing the limits and the capacity of the tourism
resources. On the other hand it is supporting the development
of tourism together with optimizing economic, environmental and
socio-cultural benefits. According to the European Commission,
sustainable development of tourism means “responsible use of
natural resources, taking account of the environmental impact
of activities (production of waste, pressure on water, land and
biodiversity, etc.), the use of ‘clean energy’, protection of
the heritage, […] the quality and sustainability of jobs
created, local economic fallout or customer care” (Europe…
2010: 10). It should be seen as a process that starts with
destination planning and its subsequent management, by
developing a strategic plan for tourism, realizing its
objectives in the most detailed way – on the conceptual, but
most of all on the practical level. It means that the most
important thing is not only to notice the problem of the
sustainable development and adopting the rhetoric of
“sustainability” but introducing it as the idea for managing
the region from the local perspective, based on its
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characteristics, in the field of tourism and yet in the
interdisciplinary dimension. To take an action seems to be the
key initiative nowadays, as we are provided with research,
guides, and case studies of best practices. Taking action means
to create an interdisciplinary strategy, introduce it, and then
measure and monitor the results and changes.
Some authors claim that sustainability is:
“using nature’s ability to provide for human needs without
undermining its ability to function over time
ensuring the well-being of community members by offering
and encouraging tolerance creativity, participation and
safety
empowering people with shared responsibility, equal
opportunity and access to expertise and knowledge, with
the capacity to affect decisions to affect them, and
ensure that business, companies and institutions which
collaborate as well as they compete are environmentally
sound and socially responsible, and investing in the local
community in a variety of ways” (D.Dredge, J.Macbeth,
D.Carlson, N.Beaumont, N.Northcote, F.Richards, 2006,
p.6 ).
The sustainable development might also be understood as:
a value orientation in which managing tourism impacts
should take precedence over market economics
shaped by global economic restructuring and a local
destination’s position within these processes
requirement of a local control of resources
patience, diligence and long-term commitment (D.Dredge,
J.Macbeth, D.Carlson, N.Beaumont, N.Northcote, F.Richards,
2006)
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Sustainable tourism in its contemporary and complex meaning
cannot be separated from the wider debate on sustainable
development in general ( Swarbrooke J., 1999). It is a regional
strategy, that may result with strong advantages for a region,
but some difficulties can be met as well. It involves
cooperation – which is actually a key world. The cooperation
between small business and local authorities who compete at the
local level, but who wish to attract a boarder segment of the
market from greater distances ( Edgell L.D, 2006)
Sustainable tourism development is respecting the needs of all
the participants of the tourist market, maintaining the harmony
between supplies and demand, protecting socio – natural
environment and developing a destinations economy.
There are different ways of explaining sustainability. The most
important is for each region (a potential tourist destination)
to create its own definition of sustainability, based on its
resources, strategies of development, and analysis of potential
shortages in this field. The context of each community is
required. The key object of the sustainable development
strategy is the conception of the destination. Contemporary
vision of tourist destination is holistic: it is more like
experience of the visited place, the impression about it, not
only the sum of the services bought during the stay. On the
contemporary tourist market, there the demand has a hold over
the supply, destinations must fight for competitiveness. The
competitiveness today is a multidimensional phenomenon and must
rise based on the different fields and features of the
destination. The destination’s strengths are presented on the
figure below:
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Figure 2. Competitive destination strengths (based on Ritchie,
Croutch, 2003)
Developing competitiveness in such a complex way is closely
linked to the previously mentioned sustainable development
strategy.
The European Commission, which has created or supported
several tools to develop this ideology of sustainable
development, pointed out a large number of indicators that
should be taken into account while managing tourist destination
in a sustainable way. In February 2013 the European Tourism
Indicator System Toolkit was issued, which is a kind of guide
for sustainable destinations or, better said, for regions that
strive to manage tourism in a sustainable way. It has been
commissioned by the European Commission based on the vast
research and observation on contemporary tourism trends, the
challenges that tourism market (especially supply) is facing,
and the need of enforcing the competitive position of Europe as
tourist destination on the global scale. It is a practical tool
that, among others existing projects that were or are to
support sustainable tourism (NECSTouR, Eden), is a kind of
EconomicEnviromentalSocialCulturalPolitcalTechnologic
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guide that provides the possibility to create balance between
the needs of tourists, host communities and environment.
Presentation of the European Tourism Indicator System Toolkit
The European Tourism Indicator System is designed to show that
sustainable tourism development in a region is a process and to
give to the destinations some suggestions and accurate
indicators that may be useful while introducing sustainable
management. It should raise awareness of the need of
sustainability in tourism and its real meaning. Sustainable
management is not only “not to harm” the environment. It is
planning, introducing, monitoring and measuring results in
different fields of interests.
The European Tourism Indicator System was created based on
previous experiences and studies of best practices and is the
product of feedback collected from field testing regions in
Europe. It is designed as an instrument for any destination to
pick it up and implement it. Technically, it consist of 27 core
and 40 optional indicators. It can be integrated to the
existing destination monitoring system or introduced as a basic
tool. The great advantage of this system is the integration of
public and private space, fields of interest (e.g.,
environmental impact, socio-cultural, economical value). As we
already know that the future competitiveness of tourism system
is closely linked to its sustainability, the European
Commission points out some key motivations for monitoring
destination, amongst which one can find: improved information
leading to better decision making, managing and minimizing
risk, prioritization of projects, and benchmarking performance.
In the past one would like to say, while the truth for the most
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of tourist destinations is – at present local policy makers
rely on a very limited range of statistics (such as arrival
numbers, employment surveys, and visitor satisfaction) to
monitor tourism. These statistics do not create the whole and
complete image of the tourism impact. “Collecting data on a
broad range of issues relevant to the impact of tourism […]
will help destinations build an accurate picture of what is
really going on”, claims the European Commision (European
Tourism Indicator System TOOLKIT for Sustainable Destinations
2013: 10). Although the positive impact of tourism development
on a region is commonly known, it is likely there are
destinations with little potential in this field or where the
cost of developing tourism is higher than potential
multidimensional revenues. The evaluation of the vision of
tourism of the regional decision makers may be one of the
positive results of implementing the Tourism Indicator System.
Tourism is a very dynamic phenomenon: that is why we should not
underestimate the need for monitoring it and evolving
strategies if necessary, facing global tourism trends.
Before the core and some optional indicators of the system are
presented, it seems to be appropriate to present the successive
steps to be taken while the destination aims to introduce
sustainable management. The first step is to raise awareness,
which seems to be obvious, but it is still necessary to mention
it and point it out for the majority of destinations. To raise
awareness also means to inform most institutions, individuals
and stakeholders about the idea of measuring sustainability of
the region, in order to increase the possibility of active
participation in the project of the above mentioned parties.
Moreover, there is a crucial need to create the destination’s
22
profile: depending on tourist virtues and amenities,
transportation, geography, etc. Why is it crucial? Depending on
the destination profile and its characteristics, some problems
will be more important to overcome while others will have a
lower priority, so the importance of the mentioned indicators
will vary in different regions as well. For instance, for
regions that face high unemployment or gender inequality it
will be crucial to monitor the indicators connected with this
aspect and develop actions that can lead to a change in this
field. The next step would be the creation of a Stakeholder
Working Group, which is a collection of organizations and
individuals involved in tourism industry. To be able to gather
data it is crucial to find representatives from the private
sector and destination management organizations, as well as
from other fields, such as environment, utility providers,
local authorities responsible for planning etc. The possible
list of chosen stakeholders with adequate organizations from
Greater Poland is shown in the table below:
Table 2: The list of possible stakeholders
Private sector representative, e.g. head of a local Hotel Association or travel agency
Individual representatives –members of Poznan LocalTourism Organization(travel agencies, hotels,associated companies )
Destination management organization
The Department of Sport andTourism and The Department
23
of Regional Policy of TheMarshal’s Office of TheGreat Poland Province
Tourism authority The Greater Poland TourismOrganization
Educational institutions The Institute of EuropeanIntegration(Poznan University ofTechnology), The Instituteof Tourism Industry ( PoznanUniversity of Economy)Statistical Office in Poznan
Organization concerned withthe preservation of local culture/ heritage
The Department of Culture ofThe Marshal’s Office of TheGreat Poland Province, TheProvincial office ofMonuments in Poznan
Local authority transport department
The Department of Transportof The Marshal’s Office ofThe Great Poland Province
Local water and sewage provider
The Aquanet S.A (company),The Local Association ofWaste Management of PoznanAgglomeration
Organization concerned withthe protection of the localenvironment/wildlife
The Department ofEnvironment of the Marshal’sOffice of The Greater Poland
Source: authors own study based on the European Tourism Indicator SystemTOOLKIT for Sustainable Destinations
Each member would be responsible for collecting data from the
field of their interest and actions. After clearing up
responsibilities of each member, the process of collecting data
would start and should lead to obtaining actual results and
formulating key issues for the destination. The next step will
be deciding which actions should be taken and how they should
be realized to avoid the failures at the destination. On this
base the long term strategy can be developed, aiming at long
term improvement.
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The indicators are divided into 4 parts: destination
management, economic value, social and cultural impact, and
environmental impact. They are then subdivided into core and
optional indicators.
The list of chosen core and optional indicators is presented in
table 3.
Table 3. Chosen indicators from the European Tourism IndicatorSystem Toolkit
SECTION A: DESTINATION MANAGMENTCRITERIA CORE INDICATOR OPTIONAL INDICATORSustainable tourism publicpolicy
Percentage of the destination with a sustainable strategy/action plan
Percentage of residents satisfiedwith their involvement and influence in the planning and development of tourism
Sustainable tourism management in enterprises
Percentage of tourism enterprises/ establishments in the destination using a voluntary verified certification /labeling for environmental/quality/sustainability
Number of tourism enterprises with sustainability reports
Customer satisfaction
Percentage of visitors that aresatisfied with their overall experience in the destination
Percentage of return visitors
PART B: ECONOMIC VALUECRITERIA CORE INDICATOR OPTIONAL INDICATORTourism flow Number of tourist nights per
monthRelative contribution of tourism to the destination’s economy (% GDP)
Quantity and quality of
Direct tourism employment Percentage of seasonal jobs in
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employment tourismSafety and health
Percentage of tourism enterprises inspected for fire safety
Percentage of tourist that reportto the police
PART C: SOCIAL AND CULTURAL IMPACTCRITERIA CORE INDICATOR OPTIONAL INDICATORCommunity/social impact
Number of tourists per 100 residents
Percentage of residents who are satisfied with tourism in the destination
Gender equality
Percentage of men and women employed in the tourism sector
Average wage: men and woman compared
Protecting andenhancing cultural heritage, local identityand assets
Percentage of the destination covered by a policy or plan that protects cultural heritage
Percentage of destination’s biggest events based on local culture
PART D: ENVIROMENTAL IMPACTCRITERIA CORE INDICATOR OPTIONAL INDICATORReducing transport impact
Percentage of tourist and same day visitors using different modes of transport to arrive atthe destination
Percentage of usageof local/soft mobility/public transport to get around the destination
Solid waste management
Waste volume produced by destination
Percentage of tourism enterprisesseparating different types of waste
Energy usage Energy consumption per tourist night compared to general population consumption per person night
Percentage of tourism enterprisesthat switched off to low energy lightning
Source: European Tourism Indicator System TOOLKIT for sustainableDestinations
As one can see, there is a lot of interesting indicators and
collecting data following them shall provide local authorities
with a great amount of information. The variety of indicators
explains the need of interdisciplinary character of the
stakeholders.
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Greater Poland as a tourist destination: do we need a
sustainable tourism management?
Greater Poland is the second Polish province regarding its
surface and the third regarding the number of inhabitants,
usually described as a very enterprising and economical region,
proving it with the lowest unemployment rate. In 2012 ,
1,616,560 of international tourist visited Greater Poland,
which was the 7th result among the 16 provinces of Poland
(Tourism in 2012: Statistical information and elaborations
2013: 41). Greater Poland is a region where the first Polish
state structures had begun to form, there is a lot of material
and intangible heritage here worth exposing, as well as
interesting nature (1 national park, 13 landscape parks, and
over 100 nature reserves). The strategy of development of
tourist product in Great Poland is a state responsibility of
the Greater Poland Tourism Organization (WTO) which has created
several themed tourist products that should fulfill the needs
of different consumers, including the niche sectors, such as
post-industrial tourists or pilgrims, as well as less niche but
active tourists. Besides all of this, Greater Poland does not
have any very strong tourist brand. It is creating its brand to
emphasize quality and innovation in various fields of its
functioning: education, administration, technology, and tourism
as well. One of the strategic objectives mentioned in the
Development Strategy for Wielkopolskie Province until 2020
(2005) is innovation. Development of tourism is one of local
policies in this strategy. Although some great projects have
been led and co-founded by the European Union (Creation of the
System of Tourist Information, The Complex Promotion of key
27
Tourist Product of Great Poland, The International Promotion of
Brand Water Tourism Product “The Great Route”) it seems that
Great Poland cannot compete with such strong tourist
destinations as the Baltic Sea or the mountains. In order to
compete with these regions it is important to follow the idea
of innovation and be able to show the innovative way of
managing tourism. How? It is easy to guess: by sustainable
development. Introducing the European Tourism Indicator System,
although it may seem difficult and maybe unnecessary for the
region which does not base its economy on tourism, fits the
ideology of the Innovative Greater Poland or of Poznan – the
city of “know how”.
Propositions of introducing the European Tourism Indicator
System in Greater Poland: funding possibilities and benefits
We are about to start the new financial perspective in the
European Union. There are a lot of reasons to think that such
an interdisciplinary project should find the European
Commission’s support. The Article 195 of the Lisbon Treaty is
dedicated to Tourism and says that “[t]he Union shall
complement the action of the Member States in the tourism
sector, in particular by promoting the competitiveness of Union
undertakings in this sector” (Treaty on the Functioning of the
European Union 2010: 135). Therefore, it shall aim its actions
so as to encourage creating a favorable environment to develop
tourism and promote cooperation. The general priorities
regarding the new perspective for Poland are broadening
activities in the field of innovations, sustainable development
– especially low emission industry, and regional development
favoring social inclusion. While browsing European Projects in
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Poland in the light of the new perspective, the activities
connected with tourism can be found in Environment and
Infrastructure, Intelligent Development, Knowledge Education
Development. There are possibilities of gaining financial
support while realizing the priorities of these project. The
details will be known soon, as we are about to open this new
perspective. There are also interesting possibilities of
receiving European Founds from the 8th Framework, which is
aimed to promote cooperation between science and business,
public and private sectors, and generally to promote
multinational and multidimensional cooperation leading to
innovation and improvement of European space – social,
economical, cultural, technological… Again, the new perspective
is about to start, there will be new calls for proposals
presented. One of the forthcoming examples of the calls,
presenting one of the main ideas of European and sustainable
development can be: “Europe in the changing world – inclusive,
innovative and reflective Societies”. Isn’t this idea close to
sustainable development?
These are only general tips, meant to show that there are
possibilities to gain European support, especially because the
European Tourism Indicator System, which being introduced, fits
the main ideology of regional development.
What can Greater Poland gain introducing this system? First of
all, having into account recent tourism trends it can gain the
competitive predominance. Contemporary tourists are becoming
very aware of the importance of sustainability. They also care
about the general impression of the destination, they perceive
the tourist product as a complex of services offered and the
impression of the public space surrounding them. The creation
29
of modern and innovative tourism product may prove to be more
important that objective tourist attractions like warm climate,
coastline or mountains.
Introducing the Tourism Indicator System may also strengthen
the brand of Greater Poland as an innovative and creative
region.
Developing sustainability in tourism by introducing this system
may also contribute to improve the quality of life in the
region by monitoring multiple important aspects of social life.
CONCLUSION
Sustainable tourism development seems to be the unavoidable
future for every destination on the tourist market. The sooner
local authorities will become aware of this fact, the higher
competitive predominance can be built.
There are different ways to introduce sustainable tourism
management into destination, but the European Tourism
Indicators System Toolkit seems to be very interdisciplinary
and can ensure not only the development of tourism but also can
upgrade the quality of life of the inhabitants , protecting the
social, environmental, cultural, and economical conditions of
their everyday life. Such a way of understanding and practical
implementation of the philosophy of sustainable (tourism)
development also fits the contemporary trends in regional
development in the European Union and can be granted some
founds. It is strongly recommended that the authorities of
Great Poland should have it in mind.
30
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