Transport in the tourist services sector in Poland during the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Transport plays an essential role in the country's socio-economic development, as it enables efficient functioning of individual sectors of the economy. It is a factor enhancing the development of many areas of life, including tourist travel. A characteristic feature of tourism is the movement of people to places of attractive value. Therefore, transport is necessary for its existence. The tourist industry has been severely affected by the spread of COVID-19. The crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic has weakened the condition of the tourist services sector and affected transport. The article aims to reveal the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the transport sector concerning changes in tourist transport passengers. Data on tourist traffic in Poland was used in this publication. It has been shown that the weakening of tourism significantly translated into changes in the number of passengers traveling. The decrease in the number of people transported mainly affected air and road transport; however, more minor differences were observed in transport based on rail, sea, and inland waterways. The decrease in the number of recorded tourist trips was reflected in the shares of individual transport modes in passenger transport. In response to the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, travelers' preferences changed regarding their means of transport. Since mid-2021, tourism has been returning to the path of positive development, noticeable in domestic and foreign travel.