Motives for visiting the Krzemionki Archaeological Museum and Reserve in Świętokrzyskie Mountains (Poland) and its associated image as a post-mining tourist product

Abstract Post‑mining areas are increasingly being adapted as cultural and educational tourist attractions, contributing both to the preservation of industrial heritage and to regional development. The aim of this article is to identify the motives for visiting and to examine the perceived image of post‑mining areas as a tourist attraction, using the case of the Krzemionki Archaeological Museum and archaeological‑nature reserve. By “perceived image” the study understands visitors’ affective impressions and cognitive evaluations of the site. In the theoretical section, the broader term “tourism product” is used to denote the composite bundle of attractions, infrastructure, accessibility, services and experiences, whereas in the empirical part the Krzemionki site is treated as a tourist attraction within its destination. The study employed the diagnostic survey method. It was found that the main motive for visiting the Neolithic striped flint mines was the desire to learn and expand knowledge about prehistoric flint mining, Neolithic communities and their cultural heritage. Furthermore, the image the Museum formed among all visitors was strongly positive and did not significantly differ between the studied groups. A strong, positive image of the examined tourist attraction can become a hallmark of the region and contribute to its socio‑economic development, especially for visitors from Ostrowiec County in the Świętokrzyskie region and those from outside the region.