The Concept Of E-Tourism In The Smart City Assumption As An Opportunity For The Development Of Tourism In Wałbrzych

Subject and purpose of work: The main objective of the article is to recommend some solutions in the area of e-tourism which could be introduced by the local government in Wałbrzych as part of activities initiated in 2017 for the development of the Smart City concept. Materials and methods: The implementation of the objective required a detailed analysis and evaluation of the “Strategy for Sustainable Development of Wałbrzych City until 2020”as well as the key task areas of the Smart City Program Council set up in the city, including Task Teams implementing projects of smart urban solutions. In the course of the research, a literature review was also conducted to explore the ways of defining the concept of e-tourism. Results: As a result of the literature research, the authors emphasized different aspects (dimensions) of e-tourism and described the e-tourism model for tourist consumption. The analysis of the strategic municipal documents showed that they did not contain any direct references and plans regarding the development of activities in the area of e-tourism. The current study offers recommendations for the growth of e-tourism in Wałbrzych. Conclusions: In the context of the realisation of “Smart City for the city of Wałbrzych” program, the concept of e-tourism, according to the authors, is an opportunity for the development of tourism in the city and in the region. The catalogue of possible solutions is open and their implementation requires taking into account the needs of different groups of stakeholders, including people with disabilities and the elderly.