Preface

Tourism is that area of activity of contemporary man that touches on various fields of hu‐ man interest. Representatives of numerous academic disciplines find it intriguing for its ex‐ ceptionally interdisciplinary character. Conditions for and consequences of the development of tourism are investigated, among others, by economists, geographers, sociologists, experts in culture, anthropologists, management and social policy specialists and even by represen‐ tatives of some natural sciences. Researchers dealing with tourism need to meet strict meth‐ odological requirements, but they get access to a very interesting subject of scientific inquiry, which combines social, cultural, economic and environmental aspects to create an ontologically new quality offering epistemological challenges.

The diversity of topics and methodological approaches present in the study of tourism is also visible in this book. It contains eight chapters covering many aspects of contemporary tourism (in methodological and geographical contexts). The authors represent different re‐ search approaches and scientific disciplines.

The first two chapters discuss the issue of involving local communities living in rural areas in the development of tourism. The first one concerns the population of areas with excep‐ tional natural values (qualified as World Heritage Sites). The authors, based on analysis of international literature, conclude that involvement of the inhabitants of such areas is related primarily to economic aspects, whereas their participation in decision making is smaller. The second chapter presents a case study of the Langkawi Islands in Malaysia. The authors investigated the effectiveness of the strategies implemented in this area; the strategies were aimed at involving the local community in the development of tourism, which is becoming one of the most important branches of the local economy, replacing agriculture.

The next three chapters are devoted primarily to the relationship between the natural envi‐ ronment and tourism. The first one uses the example of Nepal to present the role of (eco)tourism as a factor that may influence the problems of economic and social develop‐ ment in various ways. The author of the chapter highlights numerous positive aspects con‐ cerning the interaction between ecotourism and sustainable development. Nevertheless, he also sees certain related threats. The authors of the next chapter present a methodology for calculating the tourism carrying capacity of the Andaman Islands' beaches. A very detailed analysis of the problem, including environmental aspects as well as the capacity of tourist facilities, makes it possible to learn about the methods applied and results obtained. It may also serve as a suggestion on how to implement similar research projects in other destina‐ tions (in particular those susceptible in terms of natural values). The last chapter on the rela‐ tions between tourism and natural heritage presents the possibilities of using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to evaluate the impact of ecotourism on the natural environment (in conservation areas). The Ilgaz Mountain National Park, located in Northern Turkey, was used as the case study for this purpose. The results of the study conducted by the author of the chapter describe the tourist potential of the area using GIS tools.

The final three chapters of the book cover economic and cultural aspects. The sixth chapter features an analysis conducted from a (rather) macroeconomic point of view; the authors investigate the relations between competitiveness theories and tourism and the impact of the latter on economic development. As a product of their study, they present a theoretical model of growth, which takes account of the factors of tourist competitiveness and tradition‐ al capital and labor resources. The next chapter concerns a particularly up-to-date topic of mutual relationships between the so called cultural/creative tourism and tourism/cultural heritage industries. The author of the chapter, by quoting examples from all around the world, presents the conceptions of cultural and creative tourism, their resources, objectives as well as benefits and damage to nature and society. The last chapter is somewhat different, as it discusses the impact of migration from European countries on the socio-economic de‐ velopment, including the development of tourist infrastructure, in the region of Antofagasta (Northern Chile) in the period 1880–1930. The chapter is different from the other texts in the book in that it explores a historic topic using a methodology adopted from the science of history. On the basis of an analysis of historical documents and data, the author presents the development of tourism in this area, pointing to the factors which made it possible.

Tourism, a subject of empirical research carried out by scholars representing different fields of knowledge, constitutes at the same time an area of practical activity of contemporary man. It encompasses so vast areas of fields of human activity as economy, environment or culture. This linkage of academic and practical activity represents an ideal possibility for verification of obtained results in the context of their implementation. It results from the fact that majority of research on tourism phenomena may transition to the process of implemen‐ tation. Taking into consideration this situation, almost all chapters in the book, apart from methodological and theoretical foundations, also include possibility of practical implemen‐ tation of the results. It particularly concerns such fields as socio-economic development as well as environment and culture. This fact explains the title of the whole book: Tourism - From Empirical Research Towards Practical Application.

> **Leszek Butowski** University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Faculty of Environmental Sciences Poland

**Chapter 1**
