Kierunki zmian w funkcjonowaniu i efektywności w działaniu lokalnych organizacji turystycznych na Dolnym Śląsku

The article analyzes the state of local tourism organizations (LOT) in Lower Silesia against the tourism system in Poland. It pointed to the current problems in the field of sustainability of organizational structures, such as lack of standard procedures in cooperation with the local community and business, limited financing possibilities due to the adopted ineffective fundraising model, current human resources, and lack of strategic planning and objectives of local tourism policy. This picture of functioning and efficiency of the LOT in the region is a reflection of the situation of other LOTs in Poland, which results from the adopted, but not fully implemented, model of the 3-step system of tourism promotion called POT–ROT–LOT. The author presents his idea of creating a paradigm shift and transforming LOTs to increase the efficiency of tourism promotion through building local structures in counties and around major urban areas, maintaining the status quo of legal norms of the organization but developing the internal governance structure and adapting it today competitive market, gradually transforming LOT so as to make it match the Destination Management Company model and noninstitutional types of organizations, making legal modifications to the statutes, and introducing incentives such as loyalty programs, setting short- and long-term statutory and economic goals, building financial stability through diversification of income sources, and developing the idea of partnerships with other LOTs and ensuring the full representation of the local business and tourism industry in the organization’s structure, as a guarantee of sustainable tourism development, reduction in competitiveness (conflicts of interests) and the negative impact of the local community.