This paper explores the links between local resources (the natural environment) and the local food on offer; i.e., what parts of nature reach the tourist’s plate. It is based on a content analysis of restaurant menus in the Great Masurian Lakes region, which is considered to be one of the main nature-based tourism destinations in Poland. The concept of Ecosystem Services (ES), closely interlinked with the idea of sustainable development, is employed as it recognizes the relationships between humans and the natural environment. The results indicate that food representing the region’s history is almost non-existent. Instead, the local food heritage is being reinvented based on the area’s iconic ES, i.e., wild food. In this way, the supply side of the ES cascade (ecosystem resources and potential) and its demand side (the benefits for tourists and the costs they pay to obtain these benefits) are encompassed on a tourist’s plate in Masurian restaurants. The findings also reveal that, in many cases, the localness of “local” food is an illusion. This, in turn, poses an important challenge for the sustainability of food (and) tourism in the studied area.

In the tourism studies literature, wilderness has been addressed from two perspectives. From the first, human, perspective wilderness is a social, subjective construction that exists only in the mind of its users. From the second, ecological, perspective it is a material, objective reality. Here, we compare these two perspectives based on data collected in one of Poland's most popular nature-based destinations, The Great Masurian Lakes region, and develop a methodological framework which would operationalise this comparison and make it measurable. The research approach combined a survey of tourists and mapping of natural features. The data was analysed, first, to verify whether stated preferences regarding nature and the natural features surrounding tourist accommodation were coherent; this resulted in the construction of a Coherence Index (CI). Second, we analysed how stated preferences with respect to nature were linked to outdoor recreational activities; this was measured by a Nature Cruciality Index (NCI). Finally, both indexes were mapped and their spatial distributions were analysed. The findings showed that the subjective, social construction of wilderness does not always correspond to objective reality. Although tourists declared natural environment to be very important to them, in some cases the analysis found a lack of consistency between expressed preferences and the natural features found around accommodation. The phenomenon was mainly found in towns, where tourists were most nature-indifferent. Moreover, they were not interested in activities with high NCI. In some cases, however, the two perspectives were coherent, especially among nature-oriented tourists who stayed near lakes and those who stayed in villages (who were most conscious of their choices). Tourists who stayed near lakes undertook the most nature-crucial activities. These findings can be used to enhance local planning, management and marketing strategies for nature tourism.

Recreational ecosystem services are crucial for human well-being, and nature-based recreational activities often support local economies. However, tourism is very often one of many threads that contribute to the environment, and, therefore, data regarding its spatial patterns are necessary for the long-term sustainable development of a region. The present study describes a method for the detection of small boats (<10 m in length) in lake conditions based on Sentinel-1 radar images. Our two-step algorithm uses adaptive thresholding and math morphology operators to extract boat detections. The algorithm was validated on 14 images of different types of lakes in the Great Masurian Lake District, Poland. The detection accuracy was 88.17%. We also assessed the spatial and temporal distribution of tourist traffic and compared satellite data to field data. The correlation between the satellite-based map and field observations was 0.76.

L’article propose d’analyser le redéveloppement des friches industrielles à travers le concept de tourisme hors des sentiers battus. Il propose de discuter ce concept et le met en relation avec la reconversion des friches urbaines en général. Il démontre également différentes facettes du tourisme hors des sentiers battus grâce à une analyse de trois exemples de reconversion de friches industrielles, situées dans la ville postindustrielle de Łódź en Pologne. Les différents mécanismes de reconversions sont présentés, ainsi que les diverses pratiques touristiques qui en résultent. Les trois sites sont des projets clés dans la pensée de réaménagement des friches industrielles. Selon les échelles d’analyse, ces lieux sont devenus pour certains des attractions touristiques à part entière, d’autres, davantage alternatifs, attirent déjà de nombreux clients et présentent de forts potentiels touristiques.