POT at Fiets en Wandelbeurs Online Experience
The virtual hiking and biking trade fair targeted at tourists from the Netherlands and Belgium began on 23 April. Fiets en Wandelbeurs is Europe’s biggest event of its kind, marking the start of the season for planning active holidays and serving as an indicator of tourism trends for many Dutch and Belgian people.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s fair was moved online, and in place of two separate events – one in Ghent, one in Utrecht – there was a joint trade fair for consumers from the Kingdom of the Netherlands and from Flanders.
Poland created a powerful presence at the event. Its stand, organised by the Polish Tourism Organisation International Offices in Amsterdam and Brussels, enabled the regional organisations of Wielkopolska, Małopolska, and Warmia and Masuria to show what they have to offer. Visitors could download materials about the most interesting cycling routes, natural and tourist attractions, and UNESCO heritage sites. Above all, they could have live conversations with staff from the two international offices and three regional organisations.
Additionally, the fair’s first day saw a presentation of the best cycling routes in Wielkopolska, prepared by the Wielkopolska Regional Tourism Organisation. The organisers also set up a separate meeting for journalists and industry representatives, the Polish participants being staff from the offices in Amsterdam and Brussels, representatives of the three regions as well as Polish tour operators chosen by the regions.