Czas wolny i turystyka jako czynniki decydujące dla nowego habitatu

While expressing his thanks for distinguishing him with the doctor’s (hon.c.) degree a t the Technical University of Cracow at the outset of his inaugural lecture Prof. Gazzola stated that for the presenting of problems dealt with in his lecture as the most appropriate country seemed Poland who was able to see the necessity of cultivating the tradition and achievements of civilization at the same time showing a deep understanding for cultural values. This problem is highly important for all countries in times of the modern development of tourism being one from among many ways of spending the leisure time which, however, must be considered as one in equal measure favourable and unfavourable since, as a consequence, it is that development namely that may lead to far reaching transformations of natural environment. The author is of opinion that tourism has been made more and more dependent upon the economic mechanisms governing the demand and supply. Such policies applied in the field of tourism lead to numerous unfavourable results as, for 'instance, the permanently growing number of motorized vehicles of every sort which have their harmful effect on natural environment, eliminate the cognitive endeavours of people and, as a result, lower the value of cultural property. As another unfavourable result he quoted the trends of enormous development of building projects connected with touring which, as a consequence, caused that in many old towns both town-planning and architectural design solutions have been applied depriving the tourists of any contact with historic environment. All the above occurences are, no doubt, leading to transformations in the man’s social and phyoholoigical attitudes. As highly important, according to Professor Gazzola’s opinion, should be considlered the problem of a poor general level of preparation of human masses travelling throughout the world who in no way are able to properly perceive the culture. This in turn results not only in loosening the contact between the viewers and the cultural property, but also grows, in many instances, to a cause of its wanton destructing. This general situation could, unfortunately, be not improved by attempts of UNESCO intended for changing the “mass touring” into “cultural tourism”. The author postulated the working-out of programme of the global attitude of man toward the planet he is living on. Within such a programme the problems of touring could be solved at two levels, namely: (1) by establishing of a University of Tourism, (2) by preparing of man to making a proper use of his leisure time. While considering the problems of touring there should, among others, be taken into account the social relations between the local populations and those entering their living areas and also the natural environment from the viewpoint of routes and structures securing the appropriate capacities and flows. By no means less important is such education of man that he would be able to feel the need of teaching himself and also to utilize his contact with cultural property in a proper way.