The impact of EU funds on tourism development in the warmińsko-mazurskie voivodeship Cover Image

Wpływ funduszy unijnych na rozwój turystyki w województwie warmińsko-mazurskim
The impact of EU funds on tourism development in the warmińsko-mazurskie voivodeship

Author(s): Dominika Wojtowicz
Subject(s): Economy
Published by: EUROREG - Uniwersytet Warszawski, Regional Studies Association - Sekcja Polska
Keywords: tourism; EU funds; cohesion policy funds; tourism products; tourist flows; tourism infrastructures

Summary/Abstract: The tourism sector plays an important role in regional economies. Its growth could become a driver of socio-economic development of different areas in Poland. The increasing number of visiting tourists has a positive impact on the labour market, and it stimulates entrepreneurship in other regions’ service sectors. Even though some Polish regions have great potential, there persist some substantial barriers to development of tourism: poor state of technical infrastructure, especially transport, significant dispersion of the sector, lack of tourism products, and poor promotion. As no separate policy dedicated to tourism is provided at the European Union level, the development of this sector can be financed from cohesion policy funds. The paper focuses on the use of EU funds for the development of tourism in the Warmia-Mazury region. The results of the analysis show a positive – albeit limited – impact of implemented projects on tourist attractiveness and on competitiveness of tourism sector firms. The effectiveness of the projects is limited due to low interest in cooperation in creating tourism products and to over-investment effects in some projects.

  • Issue Year: 15/2014
  • Issue No: 56
  • Page Range: 28-51
  • Page Count: 24
  • Language: Polish