National Strategies for Rural Tourism Development and Sustainability: The Polish Experience

The need for the economic revival of rural areas, combined with the growing emphasis on sustainability, has created a new challenge for tourism as a potential means of achieving these two political goals simultaneously. The development of sustainable rural tourism has become a priority of national tourism policies and/or strategies in many countries. This paper evaluates whether national strategies for rural tourism development lead to sustainability. To achieve this goal, the case study approach is utilised, with the Polish National Strategy for Rural Tourism Development constituting the subject of the case. Inskeep's model Action Strategy for Sustainable Tourism Development provides the framework for the evaluation of the Polish strategy. Features of the Polish strategy that may lead to and/or constitute obstacles to sustainability are identified. Against the background of this example, future issues related to the process of sustainable rural tourism development in comparable countries are addressed.