European Union Funds as Stimulators of Sustainable Tourism Development in Municipalities of the Lower Silesian Region in Poland in 2014-2019

Abstract Introduction. The study assessed the impact of EU funds on sustainable tourism in the Lower Silesian region of Poland in the years 2014-2019. Material and methods. A literature review and the following research methods were used in the study: logical analysis and construction, as well as documentary and statistical analyses. A database was compiled containing statistical data on implemented tourism projects subsidized with EU funds in municipalities of Lower Silesia. Each project was then assigned to one of sustainable tourism sections in accordance with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council Destination Criteria. Statistical analysis included structure analysis, basic statistics, and the Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA test and post-hoc test. Results. The Kruskal-Wallis test results (H = 20.01 for project values, and H = 23.34 for the amount of EU funding) and the probability level (p = 0.001) demonstrated that project expenditures on tourism in each sustainable tourism section differed significantly. The multiple comparisons test (post-hoc test) revealed statistically significant differences between the values of projects implemented in the sections of cultural sustainability and sustainable management (p = 0.009), cultural sustainability and environmental sustainability (p = 0.009), socio-economic sustainability and sustainable management (p = 0.009), and socio-economic sustainability and environmental sustainability (p = 0.008). In terms of the amount of EU funding, statistically significant differences were found between cultural sustainability and environmental sustainability (p = 0.001), and socio-economic sustainability and environmental sustainability (p = 0.001). Conclusions. The allocation of EU funds for tourism projects did not contribute to the implementation of sustainable tourism. In the next EU programming period, i.e. 2021-2027, a more sustainable allocation of funds for tourism projects should be pursued. There is a clear need to increase the number and value of tourism projects implemented in the area of environmental sustainability.