According to data of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and Poland’s Central Statistical Office 91,885 Chinese tourists visited Poland in 2016. The development of bilateral relations, Polish tourist highlights, the potential of the Chinese tourism market, and the opportunities of building relations in the field of sport were all discussed during a meeting between Minister Witold Bańka and representatives of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China, which was held at the Ministry’s seat on 19 September.

Minister Bańka expressed his satisfaction with the cooperation between the two countries in virtually all areas, including sport and tourism. He emphasized that Poland and China share an experience in staging major sporting events plus discussed the priorities of his sport-related policy. Finally, Bańka encouraged Chinese athletes to stage their trainings in Poland.

“We are exceptionally pleased to see the number of Chinese tourists visiting Poland on the rise”, commented Minister Bańka, adding that Poland is steadily building tourism relations with China, i.a. through the recently signed agreement on cooperation or by launching successive direct air connections.

According to the abovementioned UNWTO and Central Statistical Office data, the 91,885 Chinese tourists traveling to Poland in 2016 signify a considerable growth in comparison to the preceding period, with 26,634 guests from China visiting in 2010, 35,610 in 2012, and 48,918 in 2014. The number of Polish tourists is also systematically growing, getting closer to the level of 80,000 per year. We expect to see approx. 150,000 tourists from China coming to Poland in 2017.

Head of the Chinese delegation, Liu Binjie, placed emphasis on Poland’s diverse culture and noteworthy offer. More and more Chinese are interested in Poland and in visiting the country. Chopin’s music is especially popular and also acts as a way of promoting Poland in China. In addition, the Chinese recognize Poland’s impressive sport potential. The delegates expressed their willingness to look for new areas of cooperation. The meeting culminated with a presentation on the application of historical monuments to drive the growth of Poland’s tourism.