Birdwatchers’ wonderland? Prospects for the development of birdwatching tourism in Poland
Prominent books on birdwatching and ornithology refer to Poland as one of the best places for birdwatching. This study looks more specifically into the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOTs) of developing birdwatching tourism (avitourism) in Poland. These are identified and ranked based on a survey of three expert groups involved in birdwatching and birdwatching tourism in Poland – international tour operators, international researchers, and Polish researchers. The analysis of these stakeholders’ views complements the more frequently offered analyses of birdwatchers’ motivations, in that it allows us to depict the broader context of birdwatching tourism. Based on the present study, Poland's most important strengths include its abundance of bird species and natural unspoilt ecosystems, while the main weaknesses refer to underdeveloped tourist infrastructure and insufficient information about Polish birdwatching sites. Consequently, improving the tourist infrastructure and information on ...