Krajoznawstwo in times of climate change

The classical model of ‘krajoznawstwo’ operating in Poland, based on tradition, scientific and social achievements as well as knowledge about the country or its region, should take into account the changes and processes occurring in the world of globalised mass tourism entangled in the system and pro-growth ideology. The aim of the article is to justify the thesis that ‘krajoznawstwo’ – as a kind of applied environmentalism – brings a new, cognitive and axiological critical perspective to the conceptualisation of sightseeing tourism. The first part of the article – „Sightseeing in the unsustainable world of tourism” – focuses on the terminological distinction between the terms ‘krajoznawstwo’ and ‘tourism’ as well as the social functions of ‘krajoznawstwo’ and addresses the uncontrolled, yet criticism-inducing, growth of tourism. The second part of the article – „Towards sustainable sightseeing tourism” – will be a discussion of the reorientation of ‘krajoznawstwo’ towards sustainability, which is supposed to open new perspectives for sightseeing tourism in the struggle to achieve sustainable development goals. ‘Krajoznawstwo’ has an important role to play in the ongoing debate on climate change and, more broadly, on the ecological crisis associated with the destruction of natural and cultural heritage in the age of the Anthropocene.