The Factors Deciding about the Popularity of Kayaking Tourism on Industrial Areas

Abstract

Kayaking tourism is one of the forms of active tourism. Despite the existence of extensive literature on various aspects of tourist demand, few publications touch upon the matter with respect to kayaking tourism. This topic is particularly important for the Śląskie Voivodeship, which is most often depicted as an industrialized area with a high level of degradation of the natural environment. The objective of the paper was to identify the demand factors for the kayaking tourism. The method used in the study was that of diagnostic survey with a questionnaire prepared by the authors of the paper based on the literature, verified in terms of validity and reliability. The study was carried out during nationwide kayaking trips organised within the Śląskie Voivodeship. The analyzes were carried out separately according to the gender and age of the respondents. The analyses indicated that the most important factor determining the demand for the kayaking tourism (both among women and men) was the purity of rivers, while cultural (cultural) factors were the least important. The age of the respondents diversified the demand factors, but the purity of the rivers was dominant in all age groups. On this basis, we concluded that there was a need to take further measures in order to restore the purity of rivers in the area of the Śląskie Voivodeship, which may result in an increase of the demand for kayaking tourism in the studied area.