Zwartość Szlaku Kulturowego Jako Determinanta Jego Sukcesu Jako Tematycznej Oferty Turystycznej

The text presents the issue of the compactness of a cultural route as one of the essential conditions of its attractiveness to the user. Cultural routes are thematic and linear systems of tourist exploitation focused on anthropogenic values. Due to the structure of these systems, their spatial compactness is – in addition to the intensity and diversity of thematic experiences – a key factor in both their assessment by the tourist as a proposal for spending free time (and consequently their decision to use it) and the condition of satisfactory consumption of the offer. After defining the compactness of the cultural route in the context of tourist space and the structure of experiences, a universal formula for its determination was proposed, based on the temporal balance of movements and thematic experiences. Then, an exemplary analysis of compactness was carried out on the example of four national systems with different routes of proposed movements: car, pedestrian, bicycle and water. Based on the analysis, detailed conclusions are formulated for different types of routes and postulates relating to the strategy of creating such systems and modifying existing ones in order to improve their compactness.