News

GUEST EDITORS: Jarkko SAARINEN and Marek WIĘCKOWSKI

Authors interested in contributing to the issue should submit a proposal
by May 18th, 2018.

The Special issue of GEOGRAPHIA POLONICA focuses on the ongoing changes and transformations of tourism spaces and places in Europe and the impact of socio-political and economic transitions on tourism. The past two or three decades have been characterized by complex and multi-scalar changes and processes, which have brought about a restructuring and revisioning of spaces and places where tourism activities do now and will take place in the future. In Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), especially, the political and socio-economic changes that crystallized in 1990s have deeply transformed the nature, functioning and development of tourism places and spaces. These processes of change have been partially guided by the European Union and its various funding sources targeting regional and local development in rural, urban and cross-border contexts. At the same time we have observed a transformation from a planning economy to the free market economy which has had an important implications for tourism development and its spatial structure in the CEE.

On 23 December, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education announced a new list of scientific journals, along with the number of points awarded for articles in these journals.  With pleasure and great satisfaction we announce that Geographia Polonica has received the highest score, which is 15 points. It is the highest possible score for a Polish journal outside of the  Philadelphia List, but also the absolute highest possible score for a general geographical periodical. It is worth noting that our magazine has the highest metrics of Polish general geographical periodicals in Scopus database (SJR and IPP).We hope that this is another step to strengthen position of Geographia Polonica also on the international area.

We have great pleasure in inviting you to read the contents of this special issue of Geographia Polonica as well as the upcoming one (vol. 87, issues 2 and 3 of 2014). The special issues have been prepared to coincide with Krakow’s hosting of the 2014 IGU Regional Conference. However, this year also marks a second important occasion for us - the 50th anniversary of the founding of Geographia Polonica. At the same time it is our hope that the two issues will represent that most important voice in geography since the changes in our editorial team at the beginning of 2012, with special attention being paid in many cases to Central and Eastern Europe (including Poland). Our idea in this case has been to compile and present a series of articles written by key persons of the IGU (i.e. Chairs of the IGU Commissions, and Vice-Presidents of the IGU). My vision was for the Commission Chairs to each prepare and publish an article – theoretical or empirical, or even an essay, concerning the stage that has currently been reached by his/her field of interest (Commission subject/sub-discipline), some of the new trends therein, and future directions of research.

The IGU Commission on Tourism, Leisure and Global Change, in cooperation with the Polish Geographical Society, IGiPZ PAN and GEOGRAPHIA POLONICA is using the occasion of the IGU 2014 Regional Conference in Krakow to organize the conference (pre-conference meeting) entitled “Tourism and Transition in a Time of Change”. The conference will be held in Southern Poland (13-17 August 2014). The conference will start and end in Krakow. During the conference participants are transferred to the Pieniny Mts at the Polish-Slovak border.