This book covers the current escalation of social problems related to the unstable political situation, economic crisis, as well as growing problems related to the state of the natural environment (existential climate crisis; pollution of land, oceans, and the atmosphere; severe declines in biodiversity) which requires a new rethinking of the sustainable tourism paradigm, in relation to the realities of the modern world, based on the practices observed in the tourist services sector. "Tourism is like fire, you can cook food on it, you can also burn down your house"--says the proverb. On the one hand, it allows for the regeneration of physical and mental strength of visitors, as well as provides funds for the economic development of the destination, but on the other hand, it contributes to a lot of damage to the geographical environment. The period of "stopping" of tourism during the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic allowed many areas to be relieved of the tourist traffic, which resulted in the observed revitalization of the natural environment, but also huge social and economic problems in destinations that are largely dependent on income from tourism.
The rapid resurgence of tourism after the pandemic restored revenues but also caused many social tensions. The problem of overtourism returned, and residents protested, calling for "tourists to go home." The entire tourism system requires a thorough analysis of the complex consequences of its development. This book presents many challenges facing contemporary tourism. Its theoretical and practical aspects provide a useful knowledge base for both researchers studying changes in tourism and practitioners in the tourism services sector. The content also serves as an inspiration to search for optimal solutions aimed at the sustainable development of contemporary and future tourism.
Professor Alina Zajadacz is a geographer and lecturer at the Chair of Tourism and Recreation, Faculty of Geographical and Geological Sciences, Adam Mickiewicz University (AMU) in Poznań, Poland. Her research interests focus on the tourist potential of towns and cities as well as accessible tourism. She completed her geographical studies with a specialization in environmental shaping and protection in 1996. She defended her doctoral thesis entitled "Tourist potential of cities on the example of selected cities of the Western Sudetes" in 2001 and obtained the title of habilitated doctor in 2013 based on her dissertation "Tourism of the deaf - a geographical approach." She also completed studies in Human Resource Management (2016) and a Tourism and Travel Management course at The University of Queensland, Australia (2019).
She is the author of more than 100 scientific publications, including books: "Tourist Potential of Towns Based on the Example of Some Selected Towns of the Western Sudeten" (2004), "Leisure Pursuits, Tourism, and Recreation of Deaf People in Poland" (2010), "Tourism of Deaf People: A Geographical Approach" (2012), "Sensory Gardens as Universal Places of Recreation Adapted to the Needs of the Blind in the Context of the Human-Environment Relationship" (2020) and papers such as: "Sources of Tourist Information Used by Deaf People. Case Study: The Polish Deaf Community" (2014), "Accessibility of Tourism Space from a Geographical Perspective" (2014), and "Evolution of Models of Disability as a Basis for Further Policy Changes in Accessible Tourism" (2015).
She has managed projects aimed at improving the accessibility of tourism for people with disabilities, such as Tourism for All (coordinator for the whole Greater Poland Province, PTTK, 2008), Tourism of Deaf People and Opportunities for Its Activation Through the Use of a Multimedia System of Tourist Information (2008-2010), The Accessibility of Tourist Routes: Case Study of the Piast Trail (2018), Analysis of the Accessibility of the Piast Trail (2019), Changes in the Leisure Budget and Leisure Behavior of Residents of Large Cities in Poland as a Result of the COVID-19 Pandemic (2020-2021), UNESCO Sites - Balanced and Sustainable Tourism Development (2021-2023), Data Collection Guidelines for Tourism and Sustainability Monitoring in Cultural Destinations (2023-2025), and The Development of the Innovative Educational Method of Accessible Tourism in Central Europe, Project Erasmus+ (2023-2025).
She collaborates with foreign centers (including Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Albania, Germany, Portugal, Kenya, and Australia) and with institutions and associations (developing tourism development strategies and accessibility analysis in terms of the needs of people with disabilities). Prof. Alina Zajadacz has over 20 years of experience as an academic teacher. Her didactic activities include training for the tourism industry, developing a textbook entitled "Accessible Tourism - Recommendations for the Tourism Services Sector" (2020), and a series of e-learning courses in accessible tourism implemented as part of the Wielkopolska Tourism Organization (from 2021). She also contributes to "Sustainable Tourism in the Baltic Sea Region," Baltic University, with a lecture titled "The Development and Challenges of Sustainable Tourism" (2023).
Prof. Alina Zajadacz is the chairman of the Program Council for Tourism and Recreation and the vice-dean for education and part-time studies at the Faculty of Geographical and Geological Sciences at AMU. She is also a member of the Rector's Council for Student Affairs and Education at her alma mater. She has been awarded several times by the Rector of AMU for her teaching activities. In her social activities, she is the chairman of the Geographical and Geological Commission (Poznań Society of Friends of Sciences), vice-president of the Tourism Geography section (Polish Geographical Society), and a member of The Joint German-Polish Textbook Commission under UNESCO auspices.
