Belarus was long a country to which visits by foreign tourists were highly restricted. However,recent years have brought a marked improvement in conditions and possibilities regarding crossings of the border and onward travel into the country. Of key significance to the introduction of the new facilitations are changes of the border regime and an easing of the regulations concerning arrivals that have been achieved by action at central level. Since 2015 in particular, it has been possible to note an unprecedented new scale and rate of change where the border regime is concerned. By virtue of Decisions of the President of the Republic of Belarus, a number of signed Decrees have appeared to bring zones of visa-free travel into existence, with a view to it being easier for visitors to cross over the state border into the country. Presidential Decrees have in fact both established visa-free zones and brought in other regulations making it easier for foreigners to visit. While on the one hand these changes are analogous to those found in other parts of the world at various different times, they on the other hand have certain unique features, especially given the specific nature of Belarus’s isolation in the international arena over more recent decades. Thus, the last few years have seen three types of visa-free zone system come into existence, i.e.: • border zones – on the Poland-Belarus border, and partly also that between Belarus and Lithuania; • zones at airports – especially the capital-city (national) airport known as Minsk-2, but also the airports (and the railway stations) in Brest and Hrodna; • visa-free regimes associated with special occasions, notably sporting events. In terms of main reasons for establishment, the zones that have appeared are: • along the western border (with a view to tourism developing in the Brest and Hrodna regions); • by airports (for the sake of the development of the airports as such, but also the adjacent industrial and capital-city areas, as well as the furthering of regional tourism); • linked closely with sporting events (to help ensure that the image of the country as a whole is promoted). The entry into force of the Decrees in question, and the subsequent taking effect of visa-free regimes at all border crossings, has done much to increase the intensity of the traffic involving Polish people. Since 2015, there has been a steady rise in both absolute numbers of Poles travelling into Belarus, and the share of all visits they account for. This can be closely associated with the commencement of the visa-free regimes. Consecutive years after the years of introduction did not necessarily bring major further increases in numbers travelling; or even witnessed certain decreases. There is also a marked seasonality to numbers of Poles travelling to Belarus, with the peak obviously tending to coincide with the summer months.

Background: The Belarusian-Polish borderland has great tourism potential but in the same time suffers from many restrictions, especially geopolitical ones. An overall facilitation of foreigners’ trips into Belarus has facilitated the development of cross-border tourism and local resources could be used by tourists. One of the most important tourist attractions is the Augustów Canal. This article seeks to discuss changes made to one border crossing between Poland and Belarus whose location may be considered exceptional, given that it is on the Augustów Canal. Material and methods: Analysis of historical, legal and statistical materials; cartographic analysis and fieldwork. Results: Eased restrictions on crossing the border (i.e. 5 years of gradual, stepwise introduction of visafree regimes and zones by the Belarusian authorities) have combined with the emergence of new possibilities to travel along the Canal by bicycle or on foot to increase numbers of foreign tourists (including Poles) who take advantage of the visa-free opportunities. Conclusions: Opportunities for the development of tourism (especially of a transboundary nature) are influenced by the simultaneous “internationalisation” and “touristification” of border crossings in Belarus’s western borderland area, which serve as a tourist destination of global significance (the Augustów Canal) and/or traffic at the individual-visitor level. The factor of overriding importance encouraging steady enlargement of tourist space and its utilisation either side of the border is the so-called “Brześć-Grodno Space”, as a visa-free continuous corridor for tourism established in the period since November 2019. This allows for visits into western Belarus, in particular in a south-north direction. The Augustów (Augustovsky) Canal and its Rudawka-Lesnaya border crossing are expected to play a particular part in this process.

The Augustów Canal is one of the unique tourist attractions of a Poland–Belarus borderland known for its highly valuable natural, cultural-historical and tourism-related features. From the beginning of the 21st century, following total renovation as well as the opening of both water and road versions of the Rudawka–Lesnaya border crossing (in 2005 and 2017 respectively), it has been possible to observe a many-fold increase in tourist traffic within the Augustów Canal tourist space. The present article thus helps fill a research gap with an up-to-date description of this intensification and an analysis of its dynamics in terms of the countries of origin of visiting tourists, its seasonality and choice of transport, be it by water (by boat) or by road (by bicycle or on foot). This study continues investigations into the influence of the easing of the border regime in Belarus (introduction of a visa-free zone) on the volume of tourist traffic. Factors influencing cross-border traffic on the Augustów Canal have been studied at local, regional, national and international levels (multi-scalar). Fieldwork has also been organised, using the participant-observer method, and statistical data from the Polish Border Guard has been analysed. Results confirm that the greatest use made of the Rudawka–Lesnaya crossing is by tourists from Poland and Belarus, with smaller numbers from Lithuania, Russia and Germany. Poles are the nation most often availing themselves of opportunities to cross the border by water, while Belarusians show a preference for the road crossing.

Kanał Augustowski jest jedną z wyjątkowych atrakcji turystycznych pogranicza polsko-białoruskiego, znaną z wysokich walorów przyrodniczych, kulturowo-historycznych oraz turystycznych. Od początku XXI w., po całkowitej renowacji oraz po otwarciu zarówno rzecznego (2005 r.), jak i drogowego (2017 r.) przejścia Rudawka–Lesnaja, obserwuje się wielokrotny wzrost granicznego ruchu turystycznego w obrębie przestrzeni turystycznej Kanału Augustowskiego. Z jednej strony artykuł ma być próbą wypełnienia luki badawczej związanej z aktualną analizą struktury i dynamiki natężenia ruchu granicznego pod kątem zróżnicowania kraju pochodzenia turystów, sezonowości oraz wyboru rodzaju ruchu – rzecznego (środkiem pływającym) bądź drogowego (rowerem lub pieszo). Z drugiej strony opracowanie stanowi kontynuację badania wpływu złagodzenia reżimu granicznego na Białorusi (wprowadzenie stref bezwizowych) na wielkość ruchu turystycznego. Analizę czynników oddziałujących na transgraniczny ruch turystyczny na Kanale Augustowskim wykonano na różnych poziomach – lokalnym, regionalnym, krajowym oraz międzynarodowym – za pomocą podejścia wieloskalowego (multi-scalar). Poza tym zorganizowano badania terenowe, podczas których zastosowano metodę obserwacji uczestniczącej, a także wykorzystano metodę analizy danych statystycznych, pochodzących z raportów polskiej Straży Granicznej. Wyniki badań wskazują na to, że najwięcej turystów korzystających z przejścia granicznego Rudawka–Lesnaja pochodzi z Polski i Białorusi, natomiast mniejszy udział mają podróżni z Litwy, Rosji oraz Niemiec. Polacy najczęściej wybierają możliwość rzecznego przekroczenia granicy, Białorusini zaś preferują tryb drogowy.