Socio-economic conditions of development in borderland natural protected areas: a comparison study of Euroregion Pomerania and Euroregion Puszcza Bialowieska

This paper presents the socio–economic conditions of development in two selected Polish borderland natural protected areas: Euroregion Puszcza Bialowieska and Euroregion Pomerania. The former consists of states at the East European Union border, while the latter only involves European Union members. There are analysed foreign tourists’ activities in the protected natural areas. It’s aimed at the research of the potential provided by cross–border relationships resulted from socio–economic situation of the regions and political regulations on the European Union inner and outer borders. Research has been conducted in Wolinski National Park in West Pomerania, which has been placed about 30 km from the German border; and Puszcza Bialowieska - a protected area at the Polish–Belarusian border. The latter experience low interest of Belarusian tourists in visiting Polish natural protection areas. The Puszcza Bialowieska Euroregion should focus marketing on the creation of the touristic infrastructure for the European Union visitors utilizing the socio-economic conditions of the Euroregion development.