To be human is to be a tourist
Obituary of the late Dr. Krzysztof Przecławski

Dr. Krzysztof Przecławski (1927-2014) was one of the leading Polish tourism researchers and a highly-respected authority in this field of science. However it was neither wide-ranging scientific research nor outstanding scientific works that distinguished him. He was known as a remarkable scientific character due to the educational nature of his approach, exemplified in his published scientific works. These resulted in him being regarded as an authority and educator, thanks to whom contemporary researchers are now able to think outside the theoretical framework of tourism and develop further aspects of the human sciences.

Dr. Przecławski's academic achievements include 200 scientific works in Polish, French, Spanish and English. The most commonly quoted work is a book published in Polish entitled Man and tourism. A sociological outline of tourism (published in 1996), which is the third most cited book on tourism in Poland. One of his most well-known and most often cited English language publications meanwhile is the chapter entitled Tourism as the subject of interdisciplinary research, from the book Tourism research: critiques and challenges, published in 1993 and edited by D.G Pearce and R.W. Butler. In this chapter, Dr. Przecławski presents the approach to tourism as a subject of interdisciplinary research.

Two other often-cited works co-authored by Dr. Przecławski are articles published in the "Annals of Tourism Research": A sociocultural study of tourism as a factor of change (co-written with J. Jafari and A. Pizam – 1990) and the research note: Tourism's perceived impacts in centrally-planned economies (written with R.E. Brayley and T. Var – 1991), in which the situation of tourism and sport in centrally-planned economies is described, using Poland as an example, and from a post-communist perspective.

The major part of Dr. Przecławski's scientific work consists of books on theoretical issues in the field of tourism that attempt to focus attention on the humanistic aspect of tourism, including ethics, behaviour and sociological issues. One of his most well-known works is the piece entitled Tourism and Education addressed to educators and organisers of tourism. This work included a definition of tourism that is still used to this day. The book Sociological issues of tourism, published in 1979, is a mature scientific work resulting from lectures conducted at the Turin International Centre for Advanced Studies into Tourism. This book was a subtle invitation to debate tourism issues from a social aspect. Another work meanwhile is the book Ethical principles of tourism, which was one of the first works on the ethical aspects of tourism. In other words, Dr. Przecławski raised fundamental issues concerning tourism theory. He repeatedly showed that tourism should be perceived in two ways – as man's behaviour, and the effects of this behaviour on others, so protesting against the phenomenon of tourism being treated as belonging to the quantitative category (mainly economic, administrative, legal, spatial, environmental protection etc.). The quintessence of Dr. Przecławski's scientific approach was the work mentioned earlier Man and tourism. A sociological outline of tourism, which has become an important reference work for all contemporary students of tourism in Poland.

Dr. Przecławski was not only a lecturer and professor at leading Polish academic institutions (Warsaw University, The Jagiellonian University, The Polish Academy of Sciences, and the University School of Physical Education in Cracow), and a pioneer of social research into tourism. He was also the initiator and coordinator of many scientific research projects in this field, conducted both in Poland and abroad. Special merit for the development of tourism must go to the Warsaw Tourism Institute, of which he was director in the years 1983-1991.

Throughout his lengthy academic career, Dr. Przecławski undertook numerous scientific internships and participated in innumerable conferences. He delivered lectures in many universities around the world, including the École Pratique des Hautes Études (Higher School of Practical Studies) in Paris, the Institut Europeen de Menagement du Tourism in La Baule (France), the University of Central Florida in Orlando (USA), the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie (USA), Michigan State University in East Dansing (USA), the Beijing Tourism Institute (China), and the Shanghai Tourism Institute (China). Particularly valued were the lectures he delivered for many years at the International Centre for Advanced Tourism Studies (CIEST) in Turin (Italy).

Dr. Przecławski was a member of several important scientific organisations, including the International Academy of Study for Tourism (IAST), which he himself founded, and the Association Internationale d'Experts Scientifiques du Tourism (AIEST). He also sat on the editorial boards and scientific councils of many scientific journals, for example the "Annals of Tourism Research", where he filled the role of resource editor, as well as being the coordinator of publications related to the social aspects of tourism.

The crowning of Dr. Przecławski's scientific achievements was the granting in September 2005 of an Honoris Causa Doctorate from the University School of Physical Education in Cracow. This was one of the first Honoris Causa doctorates in the world granted to a researcher into tourism. In his speech at the granting of his Honoris Causa doctorate he gave his final definition of tourism, saying that "To be human is to be a tourist", as the life of man is a journey spent eternally on the road.  Dr. Przecławski reached the end of his road on the 15th January 2014, leaving his family and many pupils in mourning for a great man.

A.R. SZROMEK
Professor of the Silesian University of Technology
W. ALEJZIAK
Professor of the University of Physical Education in Krakow
Z. KRUCZEK
Professor of the University of Economics in Katowice