Elements Of Polish Culture In Belarus As A Component Of The Tourist Potential Of The Stankava Town

Subject and purpose of work: The paper presents the tourist potential on the example of the small town of Stankava (Polish name: Stańkowo, Stańkawa, Stańków) in the Minsk Oblast in Belarus. Materials and methods: The research was conducted by means of the diagnostic survey method using the author’s own questionnaire survey in 2019. The sample used comprised 196 respondents – inhabitants and tourists (including 142 women and 54 men). Results: The results of the study show that Stankava is a naturally and culturally attractive tourist area referring to the history of the former borderlands of Poland with an unused development potential. However, in the opinion of the respondents, the actions of local authorities regarding the preservation of historical memory and the tourist promotion of the town by means of available resources are at a very low level. When assessing the tourist infrastructure, they indicated the lack of tourist trails, services, accommodation facilities and food outlets. The insufficient marking of existing attractions and historically important places was also pointed out. In the tourists’ view, it is natural and cultural objects that are the most important holiday attraction in the researched place. Conclusions: In order to fully exploit the tourist potential of the town, it is necessary to develop its tourist and recreational infrastructure and increase the role of tourism and recreation in the development policy of the local authorities.