Contemporary Threats to the Development of Sustainable Urban Tourism
149
in cities. In addition to the basic elements that determine the level of tourist attractiveness, such as tourist values, tourist development, and transport accessibility, an
important element of the assessment is the condition of the natural environment and
the results of its protection activities (Milewski 2005). Specific aspects of measurement include, first and foremost, issues related to the status of: treated wastewater,
generated and managed waste, devastated, degraded and reclaimed land, as well as
emissions and pollution reduction, including air qualityin particular (Schianetz and
Kavanagh 2008).
Tourist attractiveness is a measure that enables qualitative assessment of a city’s
tourist products over a certain period of time. Based on an individual quality assessment of an overall tourist offer and its individual elements, a tourist makes its
collective assessment and makes purchasing decisions (Decrop 1999). This measure
also applies to the assessment of tasks carried out by municipal authorities in the
field of environmental protection, alone and in cooperation with entities offering
services to tourists. It is also important to determine the tendency of indicators (e.g.
emission of pollutants—improvement or deterioration) (Panasiuk 2011). One of the
detailed elements determining the tourist attractiveness of an urban destination is air
quality, analyzed by the emission of solid and gaseous pollutants (dust and chemical
compounds) (Anaman and Looi 2000).
The level of air quality, as an element of tourist attractiveness assessment, determines the tourism competitiveness of an urban destination and informs about the
potential level of threats to tourist participants. Information on the state of air quality
in the city can directly influence decisions related to going on a tourist trip to a
specific city. Many factors can influence these decisions, including:
• travel obligation: private, business,
• travel theme: leisure, health, cognitive,
• accompanying persons: alone, with family, including children,
• departure time: in a high or low season, especially in the period with more or less
favorable level of air quality,
• method of organizing your stay: on your own or purchased from a travel agency,
• detailed elements of the offer: e.g. means of transport, including public,
• the scope of the offerings and tourist stay in the city—e.g. staying mainly in closed
facilities (e.g. cultural, sports and tourist base), as well as in places and objects
located outdoors,
• health: the participants’ health condition, e.g. related to diseases (e.g. respiratory
system, allergies) or susceptibility to poor wellbeing in conditions of poor air
quality.
The state of air purity and information available on this subject become factors that
influence not only travel decisions and the structure of the elements determining a
full tourist offer, but also the overall tourist image and potential tourists, i.e., people
who makecomparisons of places (cities) that may become their destinations in a
closer or longer perspective for their own needs. These issues can be subjected to a
long-term assessment along with observation of the activities of public authorities,
including those in individual tourist cities that are related to the impact on the air
149
in cities. In addition to the basic elements that determine the level of tourist attractiveness, such as tourist values, tourist development, and transport accessibility, an
important element of the assessment is the condition of the natural environment and
the results of its protection activities (Milewski 2005). Specific aspects of measurement include, first and foremost, issues related to the status of: treated wastewater,
generated and managed waste, devastated, degraded and reclaimed land, as well as
emissions and pollution reduction, including air qualityin particular (Schianetz and
Kavanagh 2008).
Tourist attractiveness is a measure that enables qualitative assessment of a city’s
tourist products over a certain period of time. Based on an individual quality assessment of an overall tourist offer and its individual elements, a tourist makes its
collective assessment and makes purchasing decisions (Decrop 1999). This measure
also applies to the assessment of tasks carried out by municipal authorities in the
field of environmental protection, alone and in cooperation with entities offering
services to tourists. It is also important to determine the tendency of indicators (e.g.
emission of pollutants—improvement or deterioration) (Panasiuk 2011). One of the
detailed elements determining the tourist attractiveness of an urban destination is air
quality, analyzed by the emission of solid and gaseous pollutants (dust and chemical
compounds) (Anaman and Looi 2000).
The level of air quality, as an element of tourist attractiveness assessment, determines the tourism competitiveness of an urban destination and informs about the
potential level of threats to tourist participants. Information on the state of air quality
in the city can directly influence decisions related to going on a tourist trip to a
specific city. Many factors can influence these decisions, including:
• travel obligation: private, business,
• travel theme: leisure, health, cognitive,
• accompanying persons: alone, with family, including children,
• departure time: in a high or low season, especially in the period with more or less
favorable level of air quality,
• method of organizing your stay: on your own or purchased from a travel agency,
• detailed elements of the offer: e.g. means of transport, including public,
• the scope of the offerings and tourist stay in the city—e.g. staying mainly in closed
facilities (e.g. cultural, sports and tourist base), as well as in places and objects
located outdoors,
• health: the participants’ health condition, e.g. related to diseases (e.g. respiratory
system, allergies) or susceptibility to poor wellbeing in conditions of poor air
quality.
The state of air purity and information available on this subject become factors that
influence not only travel decisions and the structure of the elements determining a
full tourist offer, but also the overall tourist image and potential tourists, i.e., people
who makecomparisons of places (cities) that may become their destinations in a
closer or longer perspective for their own needs. These issues can be subjected to a
long-term assessment along with observation of the activities of public authorities,
including those in individual tourist cities that are related to the impact on the air