THE IMPACT OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS TOURISM IN POLAND AND IN SELECTED COUNTRIES

Abstract

The article aims to present the infl uence of the 2008/2009 world economic crisis on tourism in Poland, the European Union and worldwide. It started from the collapse of the real estate market, which was preceded by several years of irrational increase in its prices. The consequences were also of great importance for business operations in the tourism sector, both on the supply and the demand plane. The study used data of World Tourism Organization and World Travel & Tourism Council, as well as statistical data of the Glowny Urząd Statystyczny and reports from the Institute of Tourism. The spatial range of the analysed phenomena includes Poland in comparison with other European Union countries and the world. The article uses a descriptive method. In Poland, the economic crisis was mainly connected with the problems with Polish zloty and their consequences. There was an evident decrease in the number of foreign tourists’ visits to Poland in 2008/2009. Evident falling tendencies in the 1st quarter of 2009 were also recorded in the area of accommodation for organised groups of tourists. It is also worth noting that the effects of the crisis of 2008-2009 in 2010 was stopped and e.g. In Poland recorded growth of tourist arrivals by 5%. In comparison with the same period of 2008, the total number of foreigners using that base declined by 13.2%.