Table 1.
Negative and positive effects of the influx of tourists in the opinion of residents of large cities (Krakow and Tricity) and smaller towns and villages
| Negative effects of the influx of tourists | Location | Positive effects of the influx of tourists | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drunk and aggressive tourists | Large/small | Better living conditions | Small |
| Insecurity | Large | Increased opportunities in the labor market | Large/small |
| Traffic jams and disruptions | Large/small | Higher earnings | Large/small |
| Difficulty finding parking spaces | Large | Better cultural offers in the town, organizing more events | Large/small |
| Congestion on public transport | Large | Learning about cultures through contact with people from other countries and regions | Large/small |
| General crowding in the city making everyday life and recreation difficult | Large | Better communication in the city (which develops due to the need to meet increased transport needs) | Large |
| Environmental pollution, e.g., littering the beach, lack of waste segregation by tourists | Large/small | Improvement in infrastructure and the gastronomic offer | Large/small |
| Increase in product prices | Large/small | ||
| A tiring frequent question for directions | Large |
Table 2.
The appropriateness of the deconcentration strategy in the opinion of residents.
| Size of town | Most common answers | Sample reviews |
|---|---|---|
| Large cities |
| “I would prefer tourists to stay concentrated where they are because I will have peace in places known only to me”. “Such distraction is unnecessary; residents know where to meet tourists and where they can have peace”. “When tourists are concentrated, I have more freedom to move around and enjoy ‘my’ attractions”. “The number of tourists concentrated in one place disturbs the residents less than the same number of tourists scattered”. “If the tourists dispersed, more residents would come to the Market Square”. “It would be good for us if there was tourist traffic in many places, and more of us would benefit from it”. “It is very positive to develop and create new attractions in new places, which allows young people to find work”. |
| Small towns | Deconcentration is unimportant; what matters is the promotion of existing tourist attractions to attract visitors to small towns. | “It would be good if tourists also came to us, it would provide our town with new jobs”. |