Sustainable nature-based tourism was brought to the public's attention as a solution to the problem of economic diversification in Central and Eastern European (CEE) communities included in European Ecological Network – N2000. However, Natura 2000 tourism development has not yet proven to be an effective way to boost local economies and the notion of sustainable tourism based on Natura 2000 resources has been challenged by residents of the CEE communities. The study goal was to explore issues concerning Natura 2000 tourism from the perspective of local residents within three municipalities of Małopolska in Poland to determine if Natura 2000 is perceived by local residents as a valuable tourism asset. We employed a mix-mode methodology: an in-depth interview and public participation GIS mapping task. The study results highlight several areas of concern regarding resident perspectives of Natura 2000-based tourism: first, the misconception that residents need and want nature-based tourism when other economic activities provide sufficient income; second, the misconception that Natura 2000 is considered a valuable asset when other tourism attractions in a municipality attract more visitors; third, the residents misconception of nature-based tourism itself; and last but not least the importance of engaging with residents when assessing the potential for Natura 2000 tourism. These findings can assist policy-makers and tourism managers with prioritizing avenues for further action.

可持续生态旅游作为一个解决中东欧经济多元化的措施进入公众的视野, 该措施涵盖在欧洲生态网络即自然 2000 保护计划里面。但是, 基于自然 2000 保护计划的旅游发展尚未证明是一种有效提升当地经济的方法, 并且基于自然 2000 保护计划的可持续旅游概念备受中东欧社区的质疑。本文的研究目标是从波兰麦欧普斯卡三个自治市居民的角度探讨基于自然 2000 保护计划旅游的问题以确定当地居民是否认为自然 2000 保护计划是一种有价值的旅游资产。我们采用了一种混合方法:对居民的深度访谈与公众参与的地理信息系统绘图任务。结果凸显了公众对自然 2000 保护旅游关切的几个领域:首先, 有一个错误观念即当其它经济活动提供足够收入的时居民需要自然旅游, 第二个错误观念是当自治区的其他旅游资源能够吸引更多游客时居民认为自然 2000 保护计划是一种有价值的资产;第三个错误观念是居民对生态旅游本身的错误看法;最后但尤其重要的是, 当评估自然2000保护计划的旅游潜力时候引导居民参与。这些发现有助于政策制定者和旅游管理人员为未来的行动制定出优先方案。