The Board of the Tourist Information Forum summed up its two-year term of office at a session held in Mielno on 27-28 November. The discussion also dealt with problems apparent in the Polish System of Tourist Information.

Board debates were followed by the annual General Assembly of the Tourist Information Forum (Forum Informacji Turystycznej – FIT) attended by 50 representatives of tourist information centres from all over Poland.   

The first day was dedicated predominantly to discussions dealing with the Polish System of Tourist Information. Magdalena Ragus, Director of the E-Information Department at the Polish Tourism Organisation (Polska Organizacja Turystyczna - POT) and Secretary of the FIT Board, presented the outcome of mystery client studies conducted by POT during the 2017 season. A heated discussion focused on changes in the certification rules. The proposal made by the Board - the introduction in 2018 of point system certificates - was received favourably. Suggestions forwarded by the Board and pertaining to changes of FIT rules, the key question being the affiliation of only certified “it” (tourist information) centres, were also accepted.  

The debates ended with a summary of the two-year term of office of the FIT Board, presented by Marcin Pałach, Director of the Tarnów Tourist Information Centre and Chairman of the Board, and elections to the Board for the next term of office. Elected candidates include: Magdalena Ragus (POT) – 27 votes, Robert Frobel (Mrągowo) – 26 votes, Sylwia Mytnik (Koszalin) – 25 votes, Marcin Pałach (Tarnów) – 25 votes, Joanna Liberadzka-Duras (Zamość) – 23 votes, and Piotr Kończewski (Tczew) and Marcin Dąbrowski (Lublin) – 21 votes each.

On the second day of debates Chairman of the Zachodniopomorska Regional Tourist Organization Marek Migdal spoke about the “it” system in the Zachodniopomorskie voivodeship, and Wojciech Ścibor, Deputy Director of the Department for Tourist Product and Regional Cooperation at the Polish Tourism Organisation, informed about projects proposed by POT within the context of a possible involvement of tourist information centres. The debates ended with a workshop about the use of social media in the promotion of tourism.   

The programme of the FIT General Assembly simply had to include promotion of the region’s tourist attractions. The participants enjoyed an opportunity to tour the Beer Making Museum at the Kowal Brewery in Koszalin – a new highlight on the tourist map of the city - as well as the Hortulus Spectabilis Gardens in Dobrzyca, which last week received a best tourist product certificate. Just like every year the programme also featured a visit to an “it” centre – the Regional Tourist Information Centre in Koszalin, the organiser of the event.

 

The session held by the FIT Board and General Assembly met with the interest of local media - both Radio Koszalin and regional TV Max were present.