EN
The Rio de Janeiro Conference in 1992 resolved that tourism is one of those forms of human activity that can help control the deterioration of natural environment (particularly forests). Tourism in protected areas, which is most frequently associated with eco-tourism, may assume the form of cultural tourism and adventure tourism. In its empirical part, the research covered the Kibale (Uganda) and the Narew River Valley (Poland) national parks. Based on the research, several conclusions can be formulated. Firstly, the research indicates that there is a lot of conflict between the management of national parks and the local population, regardless of where the national park is located, in Central Africa or Central and Eastern Europe. The main sources of conflict include provisions limiting business activity in the parks themselves and in the surrounding areas, as well as enforced taking over of land by the state. Another similarity revealed between the two parks is their multi-functional character. On the one hand, the parks are established with a view to protecting valuable areas, and on the other they are expected to attract tourists (for example, to develop proecological attitudes). Although it is generally acknowledged that protected areas are aimed to serve tourists who are interested in contact with nature, studies conducted in various national parks and reserves demonstrate that a number of visitors come to protected areas to engage in adventure tourism. A considerably lesser number of visitors are interested in cultural tourism, which is to some extent an unfavourable phenomenon, since cultural tourism to a larger degree than adventure tourism provides employment opportunities for the local population and allows to protect those sensitive areas from excessive tourist traffic. This, in turn, may alleviate some of the conflicts between the management of national parks and the residents of the surrounding areas, which should make tourism in protected areas closer to what is known as sustainable tourism.