FUNCTIONS AND DYSFUNCTIONS OF FESTIVAL TOURISM IN THE CONTEXT OF IMPACT ON TOURIST SPACE

The article deals with functions and dysfunctions of festival tourism in the context of impact on tourist space. Festivals are a rapidly developing phenomenon, which play a major role in the development of tourism. Travel to visit a festival may be treated as a separate type of tourism called festival tourism. It has a substantial influence on the tourist space. If the impacts are positive, they are referred to as functions of festival tourism. There are also negative impacts described as the dysfunctions of festival tourism. The article analyzes functions and dysfunctions of festival tourism in the context of four main elements of tourist space, namely: natural heritage, cultural heritage, infrastructure and man as a subject of tourist space. It has been established that festivals have an influence on the natural heritage, for example by promoting nature protection. They present material and nonmaterial culture, and attract tourists to cultural heritage sites. They are events which promote culture and make it possible to experience it, provide tourists with entertainment and offer them an opportunity to spend their free time in an interesting way. Festivals also have an influence on the tourist infrastructure. They offer an opportunity to exchange information and ideas, as well as to learn. Festivals promote tolerance and multiculturalism. All these elements are the positive impacts (functions) of festival tourism. The article emphasizes that festival tourism also has negative impacts (dysfunctions). In particular, these include environmental pollution, falsification of the cultural heritage presented during festivals, wear or even destruction of infrastructure due to the festival tourists' activities. A number of festival tourism dysfunctions concern people as the subjects shaping the tourist space. In this case, negative phenomena mean conflicts between the local inhabitants and festival tourists, purposeful exclusion of a part of the local community from the festival space.