Polish Tourism Organisation concluded a series of webinars for the Italian tourism industry. Involving presentations of themed routes available in particular Polish regions, the project took into account the specific character of the post-COVID-19 market.

The Rome-based International Office of Polish Tourism Organisation staged the last of three webinars aimed at the Italian industry and intended to introduce travel agents to the tourism offer of Polish cities and regions distinguished by particularly attractive cultural and natural assets. By covering routes in two completely different regions - Dolny Śląsk (Lower Silesia) and Pomorze (Pomerania) - the latest online meeting demonstrated the diversity of Polish nature and historical towns, traditionally Poland’s main tourism product in the Italian market.

The goal of the presentation not only focused on conveying information about particular cities, but also on making the Italian tourism industry more aware of and familiar with the type of routes it can offer its clients besides well-trodden solutions and usually applied standard packages. Featuring options of touring the region by car or bus/minibus, the proposed routes were aimed at companies offering packages for various number of participants, leisure travellers and families, which will most probably prefer “fly & drive” solutions once the pandemic is over.

The selection of themes took into account tourism’s post-COVID-19 recovery when tourists will be most likely looking for safe destinations that simultaneously guarantee exceptional experiences, close contact with nature, unique historical monuments and tourist highlights. The discussed webinar demonstrated how to arrange five-day tours of Dolny Śląsk and Pomorze that include stays in key cities but also place emphasis on the regions’ highly distinct character: castles, rich nature, thermal baths, caves, mysteries, folklore and local cuisine.

All the webinars were devised as training tools offering ready-to-use proposals of themed routes, including transfer time, possible attractions and activities along the way. In addition, each session adopted a different leitmotif: the first meeting focused on significant historical figures (Pope John Paul II and Fryderyk Chopin were chosen due to recent anniversaries and popularity in the Italian market), and the second one - on natural assets as yet relatively unknown to Italian travellers (regions of Podlasie, Warmia and Masuria). Attention was drawn to the exceptional character of the presented destinations, unmatched in Europe or anywhere else in the world, and to experiences that Italian tourists cannot duplicate in their homeland. The agendas proposed in webinars were developed in close cooperation with regional tourism organisations and Marshal Office of the Dolnośląskie Voivodeship.

As Italians appreciate the pursuit of unique eating and drinking experiences when travelling, the last meeting put a spotlight on the impressive corresponding offer of the two regions, their exceptional regional cuisine and traditional products. The webinar also included information about the current situation in Poland, how it deals with the COVID-19 pandemic and prepares for the arrival of foreign guests, as well as about the recently introduced “Safe Venue” hotel certification.

The webinars were attended by about 225 participants. The promotional content distributed through newsletters, banners on the Travel Quotidiano trade journal’s website and the publisher’s social media campaign reached more than 3 million users.