ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF TOURISM ILLUSTRATED BY THE CHALK UNDERGROUND IN CHEŁM IN 2018–2025, INCLUDING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

This article aims to analyse changes in tourist traffic in the Chalk Underground in Chełm between 2018 and 2025, with particular emphasis on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the seasonality of tourist traffic, and the structure of visitors by ticket type. The Chalk Underground in Chełm is a unique geological, historical, and cultural heritage site in Poland and Europe, playing an important role in the development of urban tourism and geotourism in the region. The analysis was based on statistical data provided by the site manager, including the number of annual and monthly visitors, broken down into standard, reduced, and group tickets. The study employed comparative and descriptive analysis methods to identify long-term trends and periodic fluctuations in tourist traffic. The study results indicate that during the analysed period, there was a long-term increase in the number of tourists visiting the Chalk Underground, interrupted, however, by a significant drop in visitor numbers in 2020–2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the site’s temporary closure. After 2022, a gradual recovery in tourist traffic and a return to the classic seasonal model were observed. Individual tourism remains the dominant form of sightseeing, while group and educational tourism show greater variability and strong seasonality. The analyses confirmed the research hypothesis and showed that the Chalk Underground in Chełm is an important feature of urban tourism and geotourism, with significant potential for further development, despite periodic disruptions caused by crises. The analysis of tourist traffic is also important from an economic perspective, as the volume and structure of visits directly translate into the site’s revenues, impact on the local labour market, and the development of related services in Chełm.