Postrzeganie turystyki i agroturystyki przez mieszkańców rejonu puszczy białowieskiej

The study presents results of the research on the possibility to organise tourism infrastructure in rural regions of the Białowieża Primeval Forest. The outcome of the study shows that awareness of tourism benefits among village residents is insufficient. The process of the awareness transformation is gradual and time- consuming. Thus there is a need to intensify education in the form of personnel training, seminars, courses etc. on the level of secondary and higher schools. Moreover it is necessary to establish the separate departments within gmina's authorities to administer tourism and agro-tourism. On the voivodship's level it is urgent to constitute the association or tourism coalition to promote tourism in the virgin region of the Białowieża Primeval Forest. The survey respondents fully appreciate the beauty and value of the region, nevertheless they sense a possibility of putting the environment in danger by the visiting tourists. However, most of the respondents understand, that isolating this valuable territory from those who want to visit unpolluted environment is worthless. Moreover, tourism and agro-tourism create the possibility to improve the family budget of the residents in Białowieża Primeval Forest.