Polish Tourism Organisation successfully applied for funding intended for the promotion of good practices in tourism in rural areas. POT obtained a subsidy of 625,000 PLN as part of the two-year operational programme National Rural Network 2018-2019.

The project of Polish Tourism Organisation (Polska Organizacja Turystyczna - POT), financed from EU funds, is aimed at identifying, spreading and promoting good practices in the field of tourism in rural areas. It is expected to contribute to the development of brand products of rural tourism and its commercialization, consequently ensuring that the product area potential of the discussed regions is effectively put to use. In addition, its objective involves propagating the high standards of rural accommodation and quality of provided services, as well as activating village residents and exchanging experiences.

“As part of the project, a nationwide competition will be held to select, among others, top agritourist farmsteads, offers of leisure in the countryside and culinary trails leading through rural areas. A brand-new solution has top tourism bloggers joining the campaign promoting stays in the Polish countryside”, says Minister of Sports and Tourism Witold Bańka.

Polish Tourism Organisation will promote recognised brand products of rural tourism both in social media and selected nationwide media. Moreover, the campaign will have an international presence and encompass markets where POT units operate. The programme’s implementation is planned to take place in May-September 2018. The funds are available under the European Agricultural Fund granted as part of the Rural Development Programme for 2014-2020: Europe investing in rural areas.

“We are pleased to see the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development becoming increasingly involved in the tourism sector, including international trade shows. POT is here to share its knowledge and experience. We consider the obtained subsidy to be a clear signal that the Ministry is prioritizing tourism in rural areas. It is also a form of appreciating the professional character of our organization”, emphasizes President of Polish Tourism Organisation Robert Andrzejczyk. 

 Specific goals of the programme:

· identifying good practices by holding a competition dedicated to tourism in rural areas and recognising top practices;

· spreading them by communicating and promoting the very best examples of good practices related to rural tourism;

· spreading knowledge about the rules of preparing innovative solutions connected with the development of offers in rural tourism.

The programme’s implementation will be divided into two stages:

 Stage I – identifying good practices

1. Staging a competition covering the categories below:

· leisure at farm stays

· leisure in the countryside

· leisure offer of rural tourism

· offer of culinary trails in rural areas

2. Results announcement and awards ceremony during a gala event

Stage II – spreading and promoting identified good practices (promotional activities for competition winners). The activities in question will be carried out through the following tools:

1. Online promotion – i.a. bloggers, social media

2. Publications

3. Electronic media ran by POT