Białowieża Forest as a tourist product of the area on the Polish-Belarusian borderland

Abstract

Białowieża Forest as a tourist product of the area on the Polish-Belarusian borderlandThe Białowieża Forest is a unique area in Europe, being the only remaining part of primeval deciduous and mixed forests in the region. Favourable relations between Poland and Belarus after the collapse of the USSR opened up the previously closed border, resulting in new challenges and opportunities for the tourism product development in the Białowieża Forest. This article explores the historical and geopolitical factors that have influenced changes in tourist traffic dynamics. It examines the impact of various factors at different levels, scales and dimensions, including natural and cultural values, environmental protection, accessibility, and border and visarelated matters. The study suggests that factors at the national and international levels have a more significant impact on the tourist product than those at the local and regional levels. One of the primary barriers to the development of a joint cross-border tourist product is the lack of free border crossings, although the relaxation period of the border regime in 2015 -2019 established a border visa-free zone in Belarus.