CULTURAL TOURISM: OTHERNESS TAMED? (Turystyka kulturowa: odmiennosc oswojona?)

The article is an attempt to describe two major aspects of cultural tourism, which is becoming a prominent feature of travel in the contemporary world. One aspect relates to the strategies whereby a tourist can become acquainted with a culture different from his/her own, while the other aspect is how increased cultural tourism can influence the tourist's own national and social identity as well as his/her way of belonging to a particular culture. The authoress discusses the terminology of cultural tourism, especially important in the context of ethnic groups and nationalities. She also reflects on the anthropology of global tourism, e.g. the theory of visitor - resident relations. Thus, tourism development can lead to the creation of images of various groups in the eyes of the tourist, an experience which frequently does not demonstrate a true situation, e.g. in exotic tourist destinations he visits as an observer of culture.