The Current Condition and Possibilities of Development of Festival Tourism in the Lublin Region

Introduction. The number, range, and diversity of events with a character of festivals have been growing in the Lublin Region over the last several years. The events are organised by various entities and institutions. Information about them is largely dispersed. No study has been conducted so far determining the spatial distribution of festivals at the regional scale, and analysing their offer in the context of possibilities of development of festival tourism. Therefore, a study in the scope was undertaken with consideration of the cultural conditionings of some of the events. Material and methods. In periods from July to December 2010 and from September to December 2013, secondary information was analysed (statistics, records, and scientific studies), and original material was collected (field inventory, interview, and diagnostic survey) regarding the current condition of festival tourism in the Lublin Region. Results. The collected data on festival tourism offers suggest that the number of festivals in the Lublin Region has been continuously increasing from year to year. According to the obtained data, festivals with a duration of 3 and 5 days are dominant. The majority of festivals are held in summer months, usually on weekends. Music and interdisciplinary festivals with international, national, and regional range are prevalent. Some of them already have a history of 47 years. The analysis of the spatial distribution of the festivals subject to the inventory suggests that the majority of them are organised in the largest cities of the region, namely Lublin, Zamośæ, and Kazimierz Dolny. Conclusions. Due to the very diverse offer of festivals, and the manner of their promotion, they play an important role in the promotion of the Lublin Region. The offer, spatial distribution, and dynamics in the scope of organisation of festivals provide good perspectives for the development of festival tourism in the Lublin Region.