The Impact of Tourism on the Socio-Cultural Environment in the Gorce National Park and its Vicinity

Abstract

The paper presents the problems of tourism in terms of its relationship with the social as well as cultural environment. The purpose of the article was to examine how tourism affects the socio-cultural environment in the Gorce National Park and its vicinity. I examined whether tourist traffic in the Park brings about more benefits or problems, and whether changes taking place in communities visited by tourists are positive or negative? The impact of tourism on the socio-cultural environment has been analyzed on the basis of a questionnaire I conducted. At the end I present a balance of benefits and costs of tourism in the Gorce National Park and its surroundings in the social and cultural contexts.