Poland was among the 28 countries participating in the annual Embassy Festival promoting destinations, their highlights, culture and customs among residents of The Hague, capital of the province of South Holland. Diplomatic representatives of countries from all over the world attend the event and compete with each other in showcases, workshops and presentations intended to encourage guests to learn more about cultural and tourist assets. Each year the highly popular event attracts 50,000 visitors.

This year’s exceptional circumstances resulted in an online edition of the festival. Each of the participating countries had a chance to introduce itself through videos and text materials in three categories: dance, music and cooking. In addition, a recipe booklet was put together to bring all types of international flavours to the homes of its readers.

Represented by its Amsterdam-based International Office, Polish Tourism Organisation (Polska Organizacja Turystyczna - POT) took part in the festival together with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland. A video promoting the tourist and food highlights of the region of Małopolska was prepared especially for the purposes of the project. The video in question focuses on cooking workshops hosted by a chef of Netherland’s sole Polish restaurant, Klein Zakopane. Its owner Zofia spins colourful tales about her homeland of Małopolska, its architecture, mountains and, predominantly, regional cuisine and delicious dishes the restaurant has been serving to Dutch customers for the last 15 years.

In addition to the video, the page dedicated to Poland features various materials prepared by POT’s International Office and the Embassy of the Republic of Poland and showcasing Polish culture, language and art. The abovementioned booklet includes a Polish sernik cheesecake recipe.

The content published for the festival’s purposes continues to be available for viewers through the Embassy Festival 2020 channels - website, YouTube and Facebook fan page. According to organisers, the portal attracted 15,000 digital visitors over the festival weekend. For more information about the event and Poland’s involvement see the festival’s website at https://embassyfestival.com/2020/07/28/poland/