Regional Diversity of Attractiveness and Entrepreneurship of Tourism – Challenges for Local Governments on the Example of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship

Abstract

Purpose. The study aims to diagnose the tourist attractiveness of the Świętokrzyskie voivodeship poviats based on features of the geographical and socio-economic environment. The recognition of local development problems regarding organisation in local action groups that affect the creation of the tourist function of a village and the creation of new tourist products are also assessed by residents. Method. Principal Component Analysis was used as the research method, in which the process of reducing multidimensionality, i.e. reducing the number of features, occurs. A smaller number of new variables explains and simplifies the interpretation of the phenomenon with little information loss. The components are the result of data reduction and a way to obtain a simplified image of the relationship based on the correlation structure between the observed features. Fourteen Świętokrzyskie poviats were analysed due to 10 features that express the multi-faceted nature of the local economy in the aspect of tourist attractiveness and entrepreneurship for 2018. Then, using the hierarchical Ward method, types of poviats with a similar structure of phenomena related to the tourist development of the area were presented. The obtained components can be treated as the main meta-features of the structural dimension of the attractiveness and entrepreneurship space of the Świętokrzyskie region. Findings. It has been shown is studies that tourism plays one of the key roles in the development of a region. It is an important element of activating the local economy. The 3 calculated main components explain 78.1% of the variation of the original features. The following names for the given factors may be suggested: "poviat entrepreneurship" (explained by the first component - containing 43% variability of the original features), "accommodation and transport availability" (second component - 19% variation of the original features), "EU funding" (third component -16% variation of original features). The classification indicates the similarity of poviats within the distinguished classes from the point of view of more than one factor measuring the level of urbanisation of the area. Four classes of poviats can be distinguished: the first class is the city of Kielce, the second – the buski and kielecki poviats, the third, which is very numerous – 10 poviats and the fourth – the kazimiersk poviat Research and conclusions limitations. The survey studies were conducted in 2018 on a small sample of 60 people, which does not allow to draw general conclusions, but their results may facilitate the diagnosis of tourism development. Gestors and local government officials involved in local action groups, who agreed to assess the strengths and weaknesses of tourism at their place of residence, were selected for the survey. Practical implications. The work may be of significance to various decision-making entities interested in the structure and position of their poviat in comparison to other poviats. The study is an assessment and diagnosis of the state of local development related to tourism. The actions implemented for the development of tourism infrastructure, the use of EU subsidies in poviats and the degree of implementation of the activities adopted in the tourism development strategy were identified. Originality.Detection of unknown dependencies and regularities in tourism economy among spatial systems using multidimensional methods. Comprehensive development using a quantitative and qualitative approach. Type of paper. A case study - counties of the Swiętokrzyskie voivodeship