sustainability Article The Wooden Architecture Route as an Example of a Regional Tourism Product in Poland Małgorzata Zdon-Korzeniowska * and Monika Noviello * Department of Entrepreneurship and Spatial Management, Institute of Geography, Pedagogical University of Cracow, 30-084 Cracow, Poland * Correspondence:
[email protected] (M.Z.-K.);
[email protected] (M.N.) Received: 12 July 2019; Accepted: 10 September 2019; Published: 19 September 2019 Abstract: In the modern economy, there is a significant increase in interest in tourism, both at the level of states, regions, communes and individual places. Tourism is seen primarily as an opportunity for economic development, but also for social development and activation of local communities. Well-managed tourism can become a way to preserve and protect the natural, cultural and historical heritage of specific places or regions by exploring and nurturing it. Heritage elements become, on the one hand, attractions around which unique tourism products are created, and on the other hand, a kind of distinguishing feature of a given place or region, based on which local communities build their identity and sense of belonging. The concept of creating regional tourism products could integrate these two factors, i.e., tourism and heritage. The article presents the concept of a regional tourist product on the example of the Wooden Architecture Route (case study). Keywords: heritage; heritage interpretation; Poland; regional development; sustainable tourism; tourism 1. Introduction Many countries identify in tourism an opportunity of socio-economic development. It is perceived as an effective tool within the policy of countries and regions to equalize the differences in their socio-economic development.