NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES OF GREEN KURPIE AS DRIVERS OF TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

The purpose of this paper is to present the natural and cultural resources of the region of Green Kurpie (identified with the Green Wilderness of Kurpie) as drivers of tourism development. The region under analysis, located across two voivodeships: Mazowieckie and Podlaskie, has special natural resources: woods and nature reserves which preserve the natural beauty of the Kurpie Forest, as well as its own culture manifested in original buildings, ornamentation, folk handicrafts, clothing and local dialect. It is a theoretical and empirical article. The author applied the following research methods: deductive studies of literature on the subject and questionnaire studies with the use of a standardised questionnaire survey carried out among 400 respondents from 12 voivodeships in Poland (N=400). In the eyes of the respondents, vast forests, natural reserves, a wealth of rivers and meadows, as well as a distinctive culture: local dialect, unique architecture, crafts and folk costumes are conducive to the development of nature and culture tourism in the region. Although most respondents believe that the region is attractive for tourists, they also see the necessity to take additional measures to active policy on wider tourism promotion.