THE ACADEMY OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

The Academy of Sustainable Tourism (AST) is a project implemented as part of the Science for Society II programme under the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

The ACADEMY OD SUSTAINABLE TOURISM (AST) project focuses on supporting individuals in their efforts to participate in tourism. It also aims to assist representatives of the tourism sector, tourism organisations, and local government administrations in effectively shaping trends in the design of tourism service offerings. Additionally, the project seeks to develop mechanisms to bridge the information gap between the demand and supply sides of tourism. Special emphasis is placed on promoting the concept of sustainable development in tourism.

The main objective of the project is to explore the opinions of various tourism service recipients, identify interactions between tourists and the tourism sector, and implement sustainable development principles on both the demand and supply sides of the tourism market through the activities of the Academy of Sustainable Tourism.

To achieve this goal, the project is structured around five specific objectives:

• Identifying the needs of tourism service recipients in Poland.
• Assessing the level of satisfaction with the current tourism offerings in Poland.
• Defining the specific needs of seniors regarding tourism services.
• Applying the concept of sustainable development to tourism services.
• Reaching selected stakeholders with recommendations developed by the Academy of Sustainable Tourism.

These broad objectives stem from observed research gaps in the field of tourism, such as:

• A lack of comprehensive studies on the tourism needs of different demographic groups, particularly considering changing socio-economic conditions and the ageing Polish population.
• Insufficient information—especially for consumers of tourism services—regarding how the tourism sector is responding to these trends.

Existing research also highlights a gap in awareness about the necessity of incorporating sustainability-focused behavioural changes into everyday life and tourism activities. The information provided by the tourism sector to its consumers remains limited.

Project Activities

The first research task will involve conducting a questionnaire survey among Polish adult tourists and tourists from European Union countries visiting Poland. Additionally, discussion panels with senior citizens will be held. During the final panel, research findings will be presented to seniors to confront and validate the obtained results with their opinions.

Another key task within the Academy of Sustainable Tourism project is the organisation of an Expert Forum, aimed at integrating the scientific community with business entities, tourism organisations, and local government representatives. The Expert Forum is designed as a platform for exchange of ideas and for developing recommendations to advance the tourism sector in Poland, while also proposing solutions beneficial to local and regional communities.

The project also includes activities promoting intergenerational solidarity in tourism services. These activities will take the form of school-based workshops, designed to raise young people's awareness of sustainable tourism and to help them understand the diverse needs of different groups of tourism service recipients.

Scientific Outputs and Knowledge Dissemination

The findings of the research, based on data collected throughout the project, will be published in a scientific monograph and research articles in recognised international publications. The Academy of Sustainable Tourism project integrates multiple aspects of sustainable tourism and serves as a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration between science, business, and public administration.

 

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Zapraszamy do zapoznania się z Newsletterem 1/2025

 

Zapraszamy do zapoznania się z Newsletterem 1/2024