Geographia Polonica (2023) vol. 96, iss. 3

Abstract

This paper reviews the latest research directions and conceptual developments on the phenomenon of volunteer tourism. The last review was published in 2017, so it is time to summarize and re-evaluate how voluntourism has evolved. The paper projects future developments within voluntourism by showcasing some critical changes in the participants’ attitudes. This is likely to influence how, where and by whom volunteering initiatives will be implemented. The contributions of this paper are assembling an overview of efforts to formulate a definition of voluntourism and providing clues as to what socio-cultural and market- forces will drive its evolution in the future.

Keywords: Volunteer tourism, review, local communities, experience tourism, adventure tourism, involvement tourism

Weronika Lis [w.lis@doktorant.umk.pl], Interdisciplinary Doctoral School of Social Sciences Nicolaus Copernicus University Bojarskiego 1, 87-100 Toruń: Poland
Elżbieta Grzelak-Kostulska [grzelak@umk.pl], Department of Urban Studies and Regional Development, Faculty of Earth Sciences and Spatial Management Nicolaus Copernicus University Lwowska 1, 87-100 Toruń: Poland
Mirek Dymitrow [mirek.dymitrow@keg.lu.se], Department of Human Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences Lund University Sölvegatan 10, 223-62 Lund: Sweden; Faculty of Arts and Humanities Department of Cultural Sciences Linnæus University SE-351 95 Växjö: Sweden

Abstract

This article explores the relationship between amber and heritage tourism, utilizing Poland as an illustrative context. Amber, a form of fossilized resin, holds significant importance across a multitude of fields, such as science, culture, and economy, having been used as a material by artists, craftsmen, and jewelers for centuries. Today, amber draws visitors to locations where it is found and to institutions that display amber collections, such as museums and galleries. Furthermore, it is an essential component of various events, including exhibitions,fairs, and amber fishing competitions. Amber also forms the foundation of many tourist routes, such as the renowned Amber Route. Owing to its deep ties with cultural heritage, amber is considered a central attraction within amber-based heritage tourism. This paper examines the current contribution of amber to the development of heritage tourism. The authors conducted a literature analysis, online source queries, evaluations ofinstitutions (e.g., museums), and personal observations to address the topic. The article is divided into eight sections, each highlighting different aspects of the investigated subject, ultimately suggesting an adaptation of Timothy and Boyd’s (2003) model to illustrate the development of amber-based heritage tourism.

Keywords: Amber, heritage, heritage tourism, Poland, Baltic amber

Waldemar Cudny [waldemar.cudny@geo.uni.lodz.pl], Institute of Urban Geography, Tourism Studies, and Geoinformation, Faculty of Geographical Sciences University of Lodz, Kopcińskiego 31, 90-142 Łódź: Poland
Joanna Paprzycka [joanna.paprzycka@edu.uni.lodz.pl], Doctoral School of Social Sciences University of Lodz Matejki 21/23, 90-237 Łódź: Poland
Andrzej Stasiak [andrzej.stasiak@geo.uni.lodz.pl], Institute of Urban Geography, Tourism Studies, and Geoinformation, Faculty of Geographical Sciences University of Lodz, Kopcińskiego 31, 90-142 Łódź: Poland
Bogdan Włodarczyk [bogdan.wlodarczyk@geo.uni.lodz.pl], Institute of Urban Geography, Tourism Studies, and Geoinformation, Faculty of Geographical Sciences University of Lodz Kopcińskiego 31, 90-142 Łódź: Poland

Abstract

Camping tourism has become very popular since the beginning of COVID-19 as tourists started to look for socially distanced and yet experiential activities. However, the academic scholarship is relatively thin, particularly in the context of Eastern Europe – a geographical location with rich traditions in outdoor camping andtourism. Drawing on a quantitative methodology based on ARIMA and SARIMA, this study addresses this gap by forecasting the changes in camping tourism development in the short term in Bulgaria. The results indicate a decline of inbound tourism and international visittors but also suggest a positive trend of developmentfor the domestic market.

Keywords: Camping grounds, campsites, Bulgaria, trends, tourism, time series

Alexander Naydenov [anaydenov@unwe.bg], Department of Statistics and Econometrics University of National and World Economy 1700 Student Town, Sofia: Bulgaria
Nikola Naumov [nick.naumov@northampton.ac.uk], Higher Colleges of Technology Fujairah Women’s College Al Qasar, Kuwait Road, Al Faseel, PO Box 1626, Fujairah: United Arab Emirates; University of Northampton Waterside Campus, University Drive, NN1 5PH, Northampton: United Kingdom
Desislava Varadzhakova [dvaradzhakova@gmail.com], National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and Geography, Department of Geography Bulgarian Academy of Sciences G. Bonchev Str., bl. 3, 1113 Sofia: Bulgaria

Abstract

The article aims to identify memorable gastronomic experiences reported online and verify their relationships with the type of cuisine served and restaurant location. This study used text mining, LDA, Pearson’s chi-squaredtest and sentiment analysis. All 48,378 English reviews posted by TripAdvisor users concerning 155 restaurants in Krakow were scraped. Eight features that characterise MGEs were identified (service/staff, atmosphere,cuisine/food (taste), drinks, local specialities, location/setting, price & value and table booking). There are statistically significant differences in the frequency of the topic experiences depending on the location of restaurants in the city.

Keywords: food tourism, culinary experiences, Krakow, restaurant management, Latent Dirichlet Allocation, sentiment analysis

Marek Nowacki [marek.nowacki@poznan.merito.pl], WSB Merito University in Poznań Powstańców Wielkopolskich 5, 61-895 Poznań: Poland
Andrzej Stasiak [andrzej.stasiak@geo.uni.lodz.pl], Institute of Urban Geography, Tourism Studies, and Geoinformation, Faculty of Geographical Sciences University of Lodz, Kopcińskiego 31, 90-142 Łódź: Poland
Agnieszka Niezgoda [agnieszka.niezgoda@ue.poznan.pl], Department of International Economics Poznań University of Economics and Business Aleja Niepodległości 10, 61-875 Poznań: Poland