Hunting tourism in Poland – an outline of the problem

Abstract

Wildlife hunting is a controversial and highly polarised topic both in Poland and abroad. The arguments advanced by the supporters of hunting tourism concern a specific approach to nature conservation and, at the same time, the inflow of additional funds for local communities. The examples from other countries cited in this paper indicate that part of these revenues remain in the source countries and Poland is no exception in this respect. However, regardless of the validity and quality of these arguments, the rather commonly held opinion that shooting of animals is beneficial for nature distracts attention from the fact that Poland is perceived as an El Dorado for tourists who kill ‘for fun’. One of the key issues regarding hunting tourism is whether the development of this form of tourism is an adequate/appropriate/ethical way of using animals compared to other tourism-related activities, such as watching wildlife or taking photographs. On the other hand, it is  impossible to expect tourists to depart from commercial killing of animals in Poland over the coming years. For this reason, further research concerning the main problems presented in this article is needed from the perspective of local residents and hunters themselves.