Spatial Diversity of Tourist Facilities in the Silesian Beskid Mountains in Poland
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Title: Spatial diversity of tourist facilities in the Silesian Beskid mountains in Poland Author: Anna Żemła-Siesicka, Viacheslav Andreychouk, Urszula Myga-Piątek Citation style: Żemła-Siesicka Anna, Andreychouk Viacheslav, Myga-Piątek Urszula. (2020). Spatial diversity of tourist facilities in the Silesian Beskid mountains in Poland. "Geographia Polonica" Vol. 93, iss. 3 (2020), s. 397-419, doi 0.7163/GPol.0180 Geographia Polonica 2020, Volume 93, Issue 3, pp. 397-419 https://doi.org/10.7163/GPol.0180 INSTITUTE OF GEOGRAPHY AND SPATIAL ORGANIZATION POLISH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES www.igipz.pan.pl www.geographiapolonica.pl SPATIAL DIVERSITY OF TOURIST FACILITIES IN THE SILESIAN BESKID MOUNTAINS IN POLAND Anna Żemła-Siesicka1 • Viacheslav Andreychouk2 • Urszula Myga- -Piątek1 1 Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Silesia Będzińska 60, Sosnowiec: Poland e-mails: [email protected] (corresponding author) • [email protected] 2 Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies University of Warsaw Krakowskie Przedmieście 30, 00-927 Warszawa: Poland e-mail: [email protected] Abstract This article proposes a method of the assessment of distribution of tourist facilities. The main aim of presented study is to assess a spatial density of tourist elements. The evaluation of the distribution of tourist facilities in the landscape allows to indicate overloaded areas. The second purpose is the proposition of an indicator measuring the landscape saturation of tourist facilities, i.e. density index developed by the authors. The index, referred to river basin, is based on the ratio of the area of the tourist facilities to the total area of the unit. For the purposes of calculation, the authors developed a framework for the classification of tourist facilities based on its spatial character. The method was examined in the Silesian Beskid mountain range and can be applied in similar mountain areas. Key words Silesian Beskid • tourist landscape • tourist facilities • human impact on landscape • index of tourist facilities density • impact of tourist facilities on landscape Introduction as some of the most significant manifesta- tions of human pressure on natural systems Increasingly often, tourism develops spon- (Cohen, 1978; Myga-Piątek, 2011). The land- taneously and puts pressure on the natural scape is subject to pressure from expanding environment and on landscape The effects tourist infrastructure and tourist traffic, which of tourism, and especially of mass tour- causes urbanisation in tourist destinations ism, and its global scale are currently seen and lasting spatial transformations (Mullins, 398 Anna Żemła-Siesicka • Viacheslav Andreychouk • Urszula Myga-Piątek 2009; Boori, Vožení lek, & Chou dhary, 2015; 2009; Andrejczuk, 2010; Pietrzak, 2010; Petrikovičová, Krogmann, Fialová & Svorad, Jansen-Verbeke & McKercher, 2013). There 2019). has also been a lot of work undertaken so far Because of the dynamic development on the influence of tourism on the physiogno- of tourist facilities, the material, physiogno- mic aspects of the landscape (i.e. Wyrzykows- mic and symbolic values of the landscape ki, 1991; Chmielewski, 2012; Gkoltsiou & Terk- can be damaged or lost. Very often, conflicts enli, 2012; Nita, Myga-Piątek, & Absalon, arise at the intersection of economics, socio- 2015; Chmielewski, Śleszyński, Chmielewski, cultural issues, environmental protection and & Kułak, 2018), but they have not attempted resource usage. (Inskeep, 1987; Burns, 2004; an objective approach to spatial issues in the Pawłowski, 2009). Conflicts between inves- study of tourist infrastructure. The quan- tors and environmentalists related to the tity, quality and diversity of types of existing protection of areas of special environmental elements has so far been neglected. value, such as mountainous areas, are often Considering that the excessively intensive widely discussed in scientific works (e.g. But- development (in terms of the number of tour- ler, 1980, 1996; Barker, 1982; Stalski, 1986; ist facilities) may lead to the negative changes Agarwal, 1998; Sołtys, 2009; Partyka, 2010; of the landscape properties which attracted Myga-Piątek, 2011, 2016; Włodarczyk, 2011, the tourists in the first place, it is important 2014; Duffy, 2014; Stoffelen & Vanneste, to identify areas where the density of exist- 2015) and receive coverage in the media ing elements is high. In such areas, further (i.e. WWF post concerning plans for new ski- development may disturb the visual integrity ing areas in the region around the Carpathi- of the landscape. The indication of the inten- an Mountains and the Balkans, Ski area plans sity of tourist facility development is impor- threaten Europe’s last untouched forests, tant for the planning of further investments, 2009). In Poland, for example, there is much especially in the case of areas with impor- controversy surrounding the construction tant natural and landscape values, such of new ski lifts and ski runs, such as the as mountainous areas. construction of a ski station in Wierchomla This article closes the research gap in the (Okrasiński, 2012), the expansion of the ski spatial analyses of tourist infrastructure resort on the Pilsko mountain (Ślusarczyk by proposing a method of the assessment & Bożek, 2006), and the construction of large of distribution of tourist facilities. The main hotel complexes in the Beskid and Karkonosze aim of presented study is to assess a spatial mountains. Striking examples of such devel- density of tourist elements. The evaluation opments are the large Gołębiewski Hotel of the distribution of tourist facilities in the in Karpacz (Żemła & Żemła-Siesicka, 2010) landscape allows to indicate overloaded and the recent construction of an enormous areas. The second purpose is the proposition hotel with architecture resembling a castle of an indicator measuring the landscape sat- on an island inside the Natura 2000 area uration of tourist facilities, i.e. density index in Stobnica, in the Notecka Forest (Zamek developed by the authors. The calculation na obszarze Natura 2000). of the index is based on several innovative As a result of the particular sensitivity assumptions. First, the spatial distribution of the academic community to this issue and and intensity of tourist facilities in the studied its importance, numerous articles on the rela- mountain area is connected to the landscape tionships between tourist activities and land- background, which is the river basins. Such scapes have been published (Gunn, 1979; Bara- units integrate natural processes and are nowska-Janota & Kozłowski, 1984; Łajczak, clearly visible in space. 1994; Gormsen, 1997; Terkenli, 2002; Mika, Second, all types of tourist facilities are 2004; Myga-Piątek, 2006, 2016; Gkoltsiou taken into account in the research, i.e. accom- & Terkenli, 2008; Myga-Piątek & Jankowski, modation, food and beverage facilities, Geographia Polonica 2020, 93, 3, pp. 397-419 Spatial diversity of tourist facilities in the Silesian Beskid mountains in Poland 399 supporting and transport facilities. All inven- (Szromek, 2012). The existing measures toried elements are distinguished and param- concerning tourism development (broad- eterized in terms of their morphological ly defined) can be divided into two main (shape) properties. This enables to describe groups. The first (which is particularly com- the physiognomic differentiation of the tourist monplace) includes indicators measuring the facilities. In this case, the study include cuba- phenomenon of tourism in relation to tourist ture elements, such as hotels, guesthouses traffic or the capacity of a facility or area. or shelters, area elements (e.g. parking lots, The second trend, related to environmental downhill skiing routes) and linear elements studies, measures the influence of tourism (tourist trails, ski lifts). The tourist facility’s on the natural environment. impact on the landscape depends strongly The first set of trend indicators are often on its spatial form. Cubature elements affect used in relation to the study of tourism econom- the landscape significantly, while the impact ics. These include Baretje-Defert (tourist func- of linear elements, e.g. tourist trails, is minor. tion indicator, expressed in number of tourist However, in this study the space in geo- accommodation places per 100 permanent graphical scale was studied. It was consid- residents) and Charvat index (saturation index ered in what degree the space was occupied of the tourist accommodation), expressed by tourist facilities. This enables a quantita- in number of granted overnight stays per tive assessment of the entire infrastructure 100 inhabitants of the area), as well as the of the area, as well as spatial differentiation. accommodation density index (expressed An integral indicator of the degree of infra- as the number of beds offered to tourists per structure density was worked out. The index 1 km2 area) (Baretje & Defert, 1972; Szromek, is based on the ratio of the area of the tour- 2012; Hendel, 2016). The latter measures both ist facilities to the total area of the unit. tourist facilities and tourist traffic. The second The method enables an objective and uni- group of indicators includes indices present- fied approach to assessing the strain exert- ing the impact of tourism on the natural envi- ed by tourist facilities on the landscape and ronment. They indicate changes in the natural determining the prospects for the develop- environment caused by various types of tour- ment of these