Past, Present Time and Future of the Geographical Research on Tourism. Personal Methodological Reflections Concerning Research in Poland

Tourism geography has started in Poland in 1930s. There are two stages in the process of development of this branch of geography: pre-modern or classical period (from 1930s to 1960s), and modern or neopositivist period (from 1970s to nowadays). The first period finished in around 1963 (publication of M.I. Mileska on tourist regionalisation of Poland). The second period has been started in 1970s, and among top authors in this period were J. Warszyńska, A. Jackowski, A.S. Kostrowicki and A. Krzymowska-Kostrowicka (in 1970s), J. Stachowski, D. Sołowiej and S. Liszewski (in 1980s- 1990s) and at last but not least, B. Włodarczyk (after 2000). Tourism geography in Poland is in difficult situation. One one hand it is in the stage of methodological stagnation, and one other hand it has problems with identity as discipline of knowledge. Author of the article remark that the solution for a future are new methodological approaches: structuralist and critical realism, and systemic approach