Greenways as a factor of development of tourism in Poland illustrated with an example of the Oder River Trail

Abstract

The aim of this publication is to present the idea of creating Greenways as a factor stimulating and developing tourism. The paper presents the idea and the main premises of Greenways. It shows their significance. The publication describes the roots and the development of Greenways in the world, in Europe and in Poland. An analysis is made of one of the examples of Greenways in Poland—the Oder River trail. The paper presents a positive influence of the Oder River Trail on the development of tourism in selected smaller towns located on the trail. The most important achievements and successes in this area are shown. The thesis formulated in the paper was the assumption that Greenways can be an important factor stimulating the development of tourism, particularly at the regional scale. In particular, it concerns places and towns with lower tourism potential. The paper was created with the use of nonserial book materials, journals, as well as netographic information and personal contacts with Greenways coordinators. The research method used in the publication was literature criticism and a telephone interview. The research findings positively verified the formulated thesis that Greenways positively influence the situation and development of tourism.