Implementation of tourist functions in polish recovered territories after the Second World War

Abstract

Gorzów Wielkopolski is a city located in the Polish territories recovered after the Second World War. The usage of both the city and all these areas for tourism pur-poses were treated only marginally until the end of the 1980s. The aim of the work is to check whether, after the political changes in 1989, the city’s wealth concerning its tour-ist functions was duly used. To achieve the research goals, the literature on tourism in urban centers, including Gorzów Wiel-kopolski, materials and information being part of the strategic documents of the City Hall, the Marshal’s Offi ce and the Ministry of Sport and Tourism were analyzed. The analysis also includes statements posted on the tourist websites and comments in surveys concerning the tourist attractive-ness of the city. On the basis of the results of the carried out research it was possible to formulate the conclusion that the city of Gorzów Wielkopolski is already offering services on the tourist market, but its wealth is not fully estimated and used for the needs of the tourism industry. Positive and very positive opinions about values and tourist attractions of Gorzów Wielkopolski appear mainly on national portals and are posted by people mostly unrelated to the city. Criti-cal statements that doubt and undermine the tourist functionality of the city are posted on regional discussion forums by inhabitants of the city. One of the ways to change the ex-isting situation may be to start institutional support for the industry and activities that can systematically promote the city.