Population Situation vs. Tourist Function in Lower Silesia

The Lower Silesian Voivodeship is one of 16 Polish voivodeships—it covers the Lower Silesia region. The area was chosen for this study due to its location at the crossroads of three countries (Poland, the Czech Republic, and Germany), centuries-old traditions in terms of the tourist function, wealth of nature, and the specificity of its demographic potential (almost total replacement of the regional community after World War II). The article identifies the main components of the settlement network and refers to the 11th Sustainable Development Goal. The purpose of this article is to analyze demographic changes and the evolution of the tourist function in Lower Silesia, with particular focus on their correlations and spatial diversification. The conducted analyses were based on the statistical data provided by the Local Data Bank of the Statistics Poland (LDB SP). Synthetic measures of development were used to analyze the tourist function. The research period varies depending on the particular stage and results from the availability of statistical data. The core of the research covers the years 1946–2023. It was established that Lower Silesia is characterized by a developed tourist function but, simultaneously, has been experiencing an increasingly pronounced demographic crisis. The research findings point to divergent choices made by the users–residents and users–tourists. The leaders in terms of the tourist function include, i.e., the Karkonosze County and Jelenia Góra city with county rights and, at the same time, the rapidly depopulating areas. The leading cities of Lower Silesia are not developing in an even manner; in this respect, the region is moving away from the 11th Sustainable Development Goal.