Alternative uses of former coastal artillery military bases in Koszalin coastland in view of the growing popularity of military tourism

Abstract

Motives: In recent years, the popularity of military tourism has increased considerably in Central and Eastern European countries, especially among tourists who have an interest in military history and technology. Due to the general scarcity of methods and studies examining alternative uses of former military bases, including coastal artillery bases, a reliable method for assessing the value of such sites for military tourism should be developed. The study presents the history of the analysed military bases, and it examines the extent to which the existing facilities could be converted into tourist attractions. An innovative method for evaluating the tourism potential of defunct military bases was proposed and verified, and the required changes for improving the accessibility and applicability of military facilities for educational and tourism purposes were described. Two former military sites in Koszalin coastal region were selected for the study. Aim: The main aim of the study was to propose an original method for assessing alternative uses of former coastal military bases, and to evaluate the educational and tourism potential of former military bases on the Koszalin Coast (a subregion of the South Baltic Coast) on the example of two former military facilities: Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division No. 68 in Łeba and Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division No. 66 in Naćmierz. Results: The results of the study indicate that the evaluated military sites have considerable tourism potential, in particular for tourists who have an interest in military history. An analysis of exogenous as well as endogenous (architectural and historical features) factors revealed that both sites could attract tourists, including visitors who are not strictly interested in military facilities. The assessment conducted using the proposed method demonstrated that the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division No. 68 in Łeba is characterised by high tourist attractiveness, whereas the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division No. 66 in Naćmierz is characterised by moderate tourist attractiveness.