CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DESIRED PRODUCTS AND TOURIST SERVICES

In accordance with the provisions of the Piwniczna-Zdrój City and Commune Development Strategy for 2013-2020, cultural heritage is of great importance in terms of tourism. More and more tourists want to spend their free time in an active way, reaping the most of the benefits of conscious contact with the culture, tradition and landscape of the region. Cultural heritage tourism is most often practiced by people seeking peace and therefore it is quite far from the mainstream methods of recreation and which is its complementarity with the spa character of the commune. Therefore, investments and activities covering the issues of the care and modernization of cultural heritage are indispensable. Introducing the idea of "slow business" in the commune also fits its spa climate. It is an idea opposite to life in a rush, showing in the form of family businesses, e.g. cheese manufactures, original restaurants or orchards, which send the fruit straight to the customer's home. In "slow business", a lot of attention is paid not only to production, but also to customer relations and the quality of services, which is appreciated by tourists, especially foreign ones.

The structure of the objectives and directions of intervention under the strategic objective "Improving the tourist and spa attractiveness of the City and Commune of Piwniczna-Zdrój and increasing the accessibility to cultural goods" and the operational objective "Supporting the development of complementary tourist, spa and health-related services for the economic growth of the city and commune" attention to the need:

• creating a comprehensive and coherent tourist product, using the available natural resources and the surrounding peaks, e.g. Eliaszówka,
• supporting entrepreneurs operating in the tourism and agritourism industry (informing about possible sources of financing, matching partners),
• raising the competence of the local community in the field of tourist and agritourism traffic and tourist-related services,
• creating facilities and improving the qualifications of the staff in the field of tourist and natural-healing services derived from the spa tradition, including the modernization and construction of mineral water pump rooms in other towns of the commune (Głębokie, Łomnica, Wierchomla),
• development of free areas of the commune in terms of tourism and recreation,
• creating an ethnographic park showing the "life" of the ethnic group inhabiting the area of the commune - highlanders from the Podpopradzki region known as the Black Highlanders (museum, settlement, inn with regional cuisine, etc.),
• development of the Kicarz Mountain for the development of tourism.

As part of the strategic goal "Improving the tourist and health resort attractiveness of the Town and Commune of Piwniczna-Zdrój and increasing the accessibility to cultural goods" and the operational goal "Preserving and caring for the spa values of the town and commune of Piwniczna-Zdrój", special attention was paid to   need:

• revitalization of the urban tissue (including renovation and restoration of monuments),
• organizing public spaces, supplementing technical and accompanying infrastructure,
• protection of the unique climate of Piwniczna-Zdrój,
• animating events and activities in modernized and newly created municipal facilities, serving as culture (libraries, community centers, village clubhouses, etc.),
• modernization, construction and expansion of sports facilities,
• supporting activities aimed at adapting tourist infrastructure to the standards prevailing in the European Union.

As part of the operational objective "Coherent promotion of tourist, cultural and natural attractions and creating conditions for active leisure", particular attention was paid to the need to:

• development of the spa product, off-season offer and recreational and sports offer,
• cooperation with entities providing tourist services in the commune,
• promotion of active forms of spending free time - activation of the local community in the field of recreation, sport and culture,
• co-creating and taking actions in accordance with the Strategy for the Development and Promotion of the Małopolska Health Resort Product,
• participation in international fairs and promotional and commercial events in partnership, e.g. with the communes of the Poprad Valley, the Poviat.

Tourist products in the commune include: multifunctional pitches, viewing towers and platforms, pedestrian and bicycle paths, a swimming pool in Radwanowo, Pump Room and Spa Park, Landscape Park Wooden Architecture Trail, sports and viewing hall, climbing wall, fitness room , Park Węgielnik - Rocks, natural mineral water springs, rafting on a mountain river, electric bike rentals, horse stables, ski stations.

So far, the commune has implemented many projects in the area of tourist infrastructure and is planning further investments to make this zone more attractive and improved - including: reconstruction and development of paths   walking and walking   on the Kicarz mountain with small architecture.