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The ‘I was Here’ Syndrome in Tourism: The Case of Poland Cover

The ‘I was Here’ Syndrome in Tourism: The Case of Poland

Quaestiones Geographicae
Volume 42 (2023): Issue 2 (June 2023)
By:  and    
Open Access
|Jun 2023
Figures & tables

Figures & Tables

Fig. 1.

Historical graffiti carved in the rocks of the Jański Wierch range.

Source: photo by Chylińska (2021).

Fig. 2.

The 16th-century Chapel of the Holy sepulchre in Żagań, covered with historical inscriptions (Poland). The oldest inscription on the chapel dates back to 1607: Hic fuit Daniel Rudolfo(s) Griphishagensis Pomeranus Ao. MDCVII (‘Here repented Daniel Rudolph from Gryfino in Pomerania in 1607’).

Source: photo by Chylińska (2014).

Fig. 3.

Not only monuments – traces of tourists’ presence on a tree in the forests of the owl mountains (Poland).

Source: photo by Chylińska (2021).

Table 1.

Tourist behaviour described as ‘marking’ tourist attractions (tentative list).

Activities
Direct, material, permanently disturbing structure or appearance of attractionIndirect, non-material, symbolic, including virtual space, not disturbing structure or appearance of attraction

  • – Placing the date of visit on the attraction

  • – Placing the date of visit/stay with initials of names and surnames of tourists on the attraction

  • – Placing the date of visit/stay with full names and surnames of visitors on the attraction

  • – Placing marks/symbols/drawings showing sympathy for or belonging to specific subcultures on the attraction

  • – Placing declarations regarding interpersonal relationships, liking or antipathy, intentions, etc.

  • – Throwing paint; dousing

  • – Damaging the attraction

  • – Destroying the attraction

  • – Leaving traces of being there (open windows, moving objects, etc.)

  • – Littering

  • – Placing impersonalised, random drawings on the attraction

  • – Leaving behind (personal) items (photos, personal belongings, ‘lucky money’)

  • – Taking ‘souvenir’ artefacts from the visited place (plants, rocks, etc.)

  • – Removing/adding elements of the environment of the attraction

  • – Placing commemorative elements on the attraction

  • – Entries in a guest book

  • – Photographing tourist attractions

  • – Taking a selfie with tourist attractions

  • – Taking a selfie with tourist attractions, accompanied by risky behaviour, going against the rules

  • – Photographing/filming despite a ban or unwillingness towards it

  • – Organising spontaneous actions

  • – Behaviour violating ethical, cultural norms

1 Source: author’s own compilation, based on observations and field research, and discernment of professional literature.

Table 2.

The occurrence of selected types of ‘marking’ tourist attractions according to the categories of institutions.

Types of ‘marking’ tourist attractions*Occurrence (by number of indications)
CommonlyOften ≥10Rare 2–9OnceNever
NPWHOMΣNPWHOMΣNPWHOMΣNPWHOMΣNPWHOMΣ
Material1.3003310410431701120178
2.30034105841130101111012
3.3003100132050000951125
4.20023104830110314301013
5.30032002730102204121114
6.2002100140041214851023
7.2002410510562101340022
8.2002000084214201343813
9.211431265139202444311
10.11201354312017800110000
11.3003510653210120321912
12.110221361348300392415
13.211451396231111022248
14.1102100132052215921021
15.1001201312140101114924
Non-material16.16710330011000000000000
17.1658290224001100000000
18.5117111373313000032611
19.310450166129011224713
20.301471086571801010033
21.1001000062080101941124
22.10011001220410011151127
Σ862022128551617881065245203151912468847146281

1 Answers were received from 16 out of 23 national parks, 7 out of 16 World Heritage Sites in Poland and 11 out of 62 open-air museums.

1* The types of ‘marking’, including other forms of mutilation that are carried out in places of tourist attractions, typically include the following:

  1. Placing the date of visit on the attraction

  2. Placing the date of visit/stay with initials of names and surnames of tourists on the attraction

  3. Placing the date of visit/stay with full names and surnames of visitors on the attraction

  4. Placing marks/symbols/drawings showing sympathy for or belonging to specific subcultures on the attraction

  5. Placing declarations regarding interpersonal relationships, liking or antipathy, intentions, etc.

  6. Throwing paint; dousing

  7. Damaging the attraction

  8. Destroying the attraction

  9. Leaving traces of being there (open windows, moving objects, etc.)

  10. Littering

  11. Placing impersonalised, random drawings on the attraction

  12. Leaving behind (personal) items (photos, personal belongings, ‘lucky money’)

  13. Taking ‘souvenir’ artefacts from the visited place (plants, rocks, etc.)

  14. Placing commemorative elements on the attractions

  15. Other physical ones

  16. Photographing tourist attractions

  17. Taking a selfie with tourist attractions

  18. Taking a selfie with tourist attractions, accompanied by risky behaviour, going against the rules

  19. Photographing/filming despite a ban or unwillingness towards it

  20. Behaviour violating ethical, cultural norms

  21. Organising spontaneous actions

  22. Other nonphysical ones

1 Values indicated in bold formatting are those representing at least 50% of items within the specific category of institutions.

1 NP – national parks; OM – open-air museums; WH – World Heritage Sites

1 Source: own elaboration.

Table 3.

Perception of the specific types of ‘marking’ tourist attractions according to the categories of institutions.

Types of ‘marking’ tourist attractions*Perception of specific types of ‘marking’ tourist attractions (by number of indications)
Behaviour tolerated, approved, positively perceivedBehaviour tolerated, ‘does not bother us’, indifferentBehaviour tolerated as it is impossible to fight against itBehaviour seen as vandalism that we try to limit through educationBehaviour seen as vandalism, acting against lawBehaviour does not occur
NPWHOMΣNPWHOMΣNPWHOMΣNPWHOMΣNPWHOMΣNPWHOMΣ
Material1.0000000032057331361070189
2.00000000320572211520711911
3.00000000300371193205341017
4.00000000220481093407301114
5.00000000320571086309011112
6.000000000000300373111641020
7.000000000000524111154200033
8.000000000000212510411542814
9.00000022524113126400444311
10.0000000002579551960061012
11.0000000031046231163090189
12.0112012333284015100182515
13.00000033031461310910101247
14.02132002010140041102931022
15.100100003205101210011051025
Non-material16.87102560061001000000001012
17.65920921120000000000001012
18.0101100113378221230032169
19.00000000201373313600614712
20.00000000101252613940131146
21.01011001100142061102931123
22.001110011102110220021151026
Σ151722542038313526177810430381721003461407644151271

1 Answers were received from 16 out of 23 national parks, 7 out of 16 World Heritage Sites in Poland and 11 out of 62 open-air museums.

1* The types of ‘marking’, including other forms of mutilation, that are carried out in places of tourist attraction typically include the following:

  1. Placing the date of visit on the attraction

  2. Placing the date of visit/stay with initials of names and surnames of tourists on the attraction

  3. Placing the date of visit/stay with full names and surnames of visitors on the attraction

  4. Placing marks/symbols/drawings showing sympathy for or belonging to specific subcultures on the attraction

  5. Placing declarations regarding interpersonal relationships, liking or antipathy, intentions, etc.

  6. Throwing paint; dousing

  7. Damaging the attraction

  8. Destroying the attraction

  9. Leaving traces of being there (open windows, moving objects, etc.)

  10. Littering

  11. Placing impersonalised, random drawings on the attraction

  12. Leaving behind (personal) items (photos, personal belongings, ‘lucky money’)

  13. Taking ‘souvenir’ artefacts from the visited place (plants, rocks, etc.)

  14. Placing commemorative elements on the attractions

  15. Other physical ones

  16. Photographing tourist attractions

  17. Taking a selfie with tourist attractions

  18. Taking a selfie with tourist attractions, accompanied by risky behaviour, going against the rules

  19. Photographing/filming despite a ban or unwillingness towards it

  20. Behaviour violating ethical, cultural norms

  21. Organising spontaneous actions

  22. Other nonphysical ones

1 Values indicated in bold formatting are those representing at least 50% of items within the specific category of institutions.

1 NP – national parks; OM – open-air museums; WH – World Heritage Sites.

1 Source: own elaboration.

Fig. 4.

Characteristic of places with tourists’ marks according to the types of institutions.

Source: own elaboration.

Fig. 5.

Stickers entirely covering the entrance area (A) of the Śnieżka mountain meteorological observatory (B) in Karkonosze National Park.

Source: photo by Chylińska (2022).

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14746/quageo-2023-0015 | Journal eISSN: 2081-6383 | Journal ISSN: 2082-2103 (formerly 0137-477X)
Journal RSS Feed
Language: English, German
Page range: 53 - 69
Submitted on: Dec 29, 2022
Published on: Jun 27, 2023
Published by: Adam Mickiewicz University
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Keywords:
marking attractions,
vandalism,
national park,
open-air museum,
UNESCO World Heritage List
Related subjects:
Geosciences,
Geography

© 2023 Dagmara Chylińska, Gerard Kosmala, published by Adam Mickiewicz University
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 42 (2023): Issue 2 (June 2023)
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