Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska, EnoTarnowskie, Łódź and Poznań have been named the best in the “Polish Tourist Brands” [Polskie Marki Turystyczne] project. Andrzej Gut-Mostowy, State Secretary at the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, and Anna Salamończyk-Mochel, President of the Polish Tourism Organisation, presented the certifications during a ceremony held in Kielce on Monday 7 March 2022.

The jury has also reserved an honourable mention for the Świętokrzyskie Mountains, Roztocze and the Active Water Tourism Route of the Czarna Hańcza, the Augustów Canal and the Biebrza, known as “Cha-KA-Bi”. A total of thirty candidates were recruited to compete in the second edition of the project which took place in 2021.

The “Polish Tourist Brands” project popularises places worth visiting in Poland. The idea behind it is to create a portfolio of the most attractive Polish regions, which will be professionally managed and promoted. Both the form of managing tourist brands and filling them with content are the result of valuable cooperation at the local level.  We want to support and promote such initiatives.

“This is an opportunity to promote good practices in the field of tourism. I hope that by working together and sharing knowledge, we will be able to create professionally managed tourist brands that will compete for tourists with many foreign destinations even more effectively,” said Andrzej Gut-Mostowy, State Secretary at the Ministry of Sport and Tourism.

“The title of a «Polish Tourist Brand» has become a prestigious certificate of quality, attractiveness and reliability, and tourists take it into account when planning their trips. Both the winners and the runners-up represent different areas or sectors of tourism. This shows that tourist brands can be created by places, flavours, or activities to do in natural surroundings in Poland. As with the previous edition, this year’s winners can count on promotional support on the national and foreign markets, participation in fairs, workshops, and study trips. Just as before, Polish Tourist Organisation will conduct joint actions with the recognised managers within the national tourist portal and other communication channels,” added the Acting President of the Polish Tourism Organisation Anna Salamończyk-Mochel.

And the winners are:

• Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska, managed by the local association of municipalities and communes 

Also known as the Kraków-Częstochowa Jurassic Upland, it has been a recognised brand for years, not only in Poland but also abroad, for offering cultural and active tourism. As many as 33 municipalities and communes and around 150 entities, who work together well, are involved in the brand. The best example is the joint organisation of a huge promotional event called JUROMANIA, which attracts around 40,000 tourists every year. Accolades are also due for the variety of marketing tools that are used.

• EnoTarnowskie, managed by the Tarnów Tourism Organisation

The Tarnów Tourism Organisation has been building its brand consistently for years. It has a developed marketing strategy, guides, flyers, as well as tourist packages with a ready pricelist to fall back on. For accommodation, it relies on a well-developed network in the region, based primarily on agritourism farms, where local products are also promoted, while traditions and customs related to rural life are still being cultivated. Moreover, it is worth noting that the area is well connected in terms of roads, which is important in reaching tourist attractions, whose popularity, associated with the trends of wine and culinary tourism, is on the rise.

• Łódź, managed by the Łódź Tourism Organisation

Thanks to its consistent promotional activities, Łódź has already been a staple as a tourist attraction, as a dynamically developing city of many cultures. The manager of the brand, the Łódź Tourism Organisation is a reliable guarantor of its growth in the future. Aware of the brand’s potential, the organisation carries out a range of activities managing the brand, to highlight its value. Factors that are worth mentioning: the good commercialisation, budget size, dedicated staff, many public and private actors involved in the development of Łódź. In addition, the brand is well taken care of from the marketing side - strategy, research, and marketing tools.

Further development of the brand will be encouraged by the wider actions of the manager, which are part of the objectives of sustainable tourism development. 

• Poznań, managed by the Poznań Tourism Organisation

Poznań is a city that successfully combines the functions of the trade fair hub it has been for centuries with options for leisure. The multitude of attractions, effectively promoted, attracts visitors from all over the world. High places in competitions and rankings are a well-deserved prize, confirming its strong position.

The Poznań brand manager, the Poznań Tourism Organisation, has successfully exploited the tourist potential of the city. Excellent management and strategy coupled with a separate budget provide a stable foundation for activity and further development.

Such conditions promote the integration of industry partners and allow for effective involvement in the commercialisation of the offer, promotion campaigns, including those prolonging the tourist season, as well as actions for local communities (CSR).

The honourable mentions went to:

• Świętokrzyskie Mountains, managed by the local association of municipalities and communes

Świętokrzyskie Mountains, in English often referred to as the Holy Cross Mountains, boast unique natural resources, such as Puszcza Jodłowa forest complex, stone runs and monuments of culture, such as the Święty Krzyż (Holy Cross) Monastery. It should be noted that this is an extremely diverse area. In addition to geological sites such as the world’s only mine of striped flint (used in jewellery highly appreciated in the world of celebrities), you can also marvel at places of archaeological interest. The region is also a reservoir of folk culture, a collection of which is exhibited in Tokarnia, one of the biggest open-air museums in Poland. The brand manager, the local association of municipalities and communes, is an example of cooperation between so many entities for the growth of the entire region.

• Roztocze, managed by the Regional Tourism Organisation in Lublin

It is a picturesque land with excellent conditions for active tourism: kayaking, hiking, and cycling. It contains several valuable monuments of different cultures that have been present in the area for centuries. The terrain features rolling hills, such as the mounts: Bukowa and Chełmowa Góra, and picturesque farm fields appearing as colourful green and yellow stripes, familiar to many lovers of photography. Roztocze offers a range of culinary delights based on buckwheat, exquisite honey, and trout. The brand manager, the Regional Tourism Organisation in Lublin, is a great example of how to successfully integrate people around tourism and develop its potential.

• “Cha-KA-Bi” Active Water Tourism Route of the Czarna Hańcza, the Augustów Canal and the Biebrza, managed by the “Lokalna Grupa Działania Kanał Augustowski” Association

The potential of the area is based on three unique waterways: the Czarna Hańcza and Biebrza Rivers as well as the Augustów Canal. They are familiar to nature tourism enthusiasts in Poland and Europe. The area offers numerous options for accommodation in agritourism farms and campers, the latter of which have become particularly sought-after and fashionable because of the changes caused by the pandemic. The unique Biebrza swamps are a haven for birds and attract photographers from all over the world. The Augustów Canal was also a favourite place of summer stays for Fr. Karol Wojtyła, who later became Pope John Paul II.

The “Polish Tourist Brand” project, developed by the Ministry of Sport and Tourism in cooperation with the Polish Tourism Organisation, involves the creation of packages of tourism products which would form a single, coherent whole, to be promoted as a tourist brand. It has also been included in the “Strategy for Responsible Development.”

The project was launched in 2018 and its first laureates, recognised with the title of the Polish Tourist Brand in 2019, were the Beskid Mountains, Śląsk Cieszyński, Lublin, the Land of Loess Gorges and Toruń. Also awarded were six titles of “Polish Tourist Brand – Candidate.” The recipients were areas that have the potential to become recognisable tourist brands. These included Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska, the Western Mazury, the Holy Cross Land, Zamość, the Trail around the Tatras and the Białowieża Forest.