City break as a form of urban tourism

• Main Author: Agata Balińska
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malopolska School of Economics in Tarnow, Poland 2020-06-01
• Series: Zeszyty Naukowe Małopolskiej Wyższej Szkoły Ekonomicznej w Tarnowie
• Subjects: city brak; tourism; cities; destination; destination attractiveness
• Online Access: https://zn.mwse.edu.pl/index.php/zn/article/view/729

The aim of this paper is to investigate the attractiveness of city break trips as a form of urban (cognitive) tourism. The study focuses on the following research questions: What factors influence the popularity of city break trips? Which cities are most often chosen as destinations for short-term holidays? What factors determine the choice of these cities? Which city attractions appeal to city break visitors? How are city breaks organized? These research questions were investigated through desk-based analysis of literaturę on urban tourist destination attractiveness and the determinants of city break trend development as well as an online diagnostic survey which involved 184 respondents actively participating in tourism. The study shows that the main reasons for taking a city break trip is the desire to “escape from everyday life routine”, “sightseeing” and “relaxation”. Cities in Poland were more popular destinations than cities abroad and they were usually reached by train or car. City break visitors most often visited historical sites and looked for off-the-beaten-track places. The main reason for choosing a particular destination was the desire to see something new. Research topic and issues testify to the originality of the selected research area.