The World Travel Market International Travel Trade Show was held in London on 5-7 October. City and recreational tourism dominated the entirely new Polish National Booth prepared by Polish Tourism Organisation. Emphasis was also placed on the assets of Polish cuisine and the offer of rural areas.

London hosted World Travel Market International Travel Trade Show, one of the leading global events for the travel industry. This was also the first event to introduce a wider audience to the project of a new national booth arranged by Polish Tourism Organisation (Polska Organizacja Turystyczna - POT).

“I am very satisfied with this year’s presentation. The highly advanced new design of the booth goes beyond the usual clichés and makes it possible to showcase our country’s advantages in an even more attractive way. In London we presented a diverse and extensive offer, which had something for everyone. I am also delighted by the cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, which boosts the effectiveness of promoting rural tourism. Most of all, I am happy that the new booth got a warm reception from the exhibitors”, says President of POT Robert Andrzejczyk.

“United Kingdom has for years remained an essential tourist market for Poland. The number of incoming U.K. tourists in 2017 equalled 851,000 and their expenditures were estimated at the level of 1.6 billion PLN. In addition, we are very pleased with the fact that a growth tendency has also been maintained in the first half of 2018, with the number of arrivals rising by 9% when compared with an analogous period in the year before”, adds Ewa Pawlak-Lewandowska, Director of the Department of Tourism at the Ministry of Sport and Tourism.

City and recreational tourism plus Polish cuisine acted as the leitmotifs of the Polish National Booth at this year’s WTM London. Thanks to cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, event participants could also explore the varied offer of rural areas. Agritourism and the “slow tourism” movement are becoming an increasingly prominent trend in Europe. Furthermore, visitors to the Polish stand also had a chance to sample traditional Polish meals served in a modern and often unexpected way.

“The WTM Trade Show is a first-rate opportunity for the tourism industry to establish new relations. For Kraków our presence in London is also crucial because of the chance to meet top bloggers and influencers. I am pleased to see the Polish National Booth gain a new image - it owes its highly elegant character and great design to a simple form. Exhibitors really like it and our guests complimented it many times”, says Magdalena Osuch of Kraków Municipality.

The Polish National Booth showcases numerous regions, cities and entrepreneurs. This year’s offers were prepared by the regions of Małopolska and Lubelszczyzna, the cities of Kraków, Poznań and Łódź, companies: Ernesto Travel, JAN-POL, Bukovina Resort, Pałac na Wodzie Emotions & Thermal SPA, INTERCRAC Tour Operator, Artur Travel Tour Operator, WĘDROWIEC KRAKOW GUIDED TOURS, Prime Tours, SOS Travel Tour Operator, Grupa TRIP Tour Operator, Furnel Travel International, Supertour DMC Poland, Discover Warsaw with WPT1313, as well as the abovementioned Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development with its “Relax in the countryside” project. As part of a booth of 195 m2, a special area of 15 m2 was dedicated exclusively to the promotion of Polish heath tourism.

“This was the first time that Poznań was showcased at the WTM Trade Show. We were inspired to participate by the growing role of the U.K. market for Poznań tourism. Following visitors from Germany, guests from the U.K. constitute the second largest group of foreign tourists in the capital of Wielkopolska”, explains Jan Mazurczak, President of Poznań Local Tourist Organisation. “Moreover, WTM is also a great opportunity to, i.a. solidify cooperation with the media, including influencers. The application of this promotional potential is especially important now when Poznań was nominated for the ‘European Best Destinations 2019’ award and was Poland’s only city to reach the finale of the competition for the European Capital of Smart Tourism”, adds Mazurczak.

“I was greatly and positively impressed by the new booth at WTM London 2018. The spatial arrangement and functionality of the stands of subcontractors plus ensuring that the place is not overcrowded had great impact on the overall presentation of the Polish national booth. Its interior design was rendered even more attractive by remarkable photos and Tytus Brzozowski’s new watercolours presenting Polish cities in a highly original way”, commented Piotr Rabczak, Partner at INTERCRAC.

With WTM in mind Polish Tourism Organisation also developed events accompanying the Polish National Booth. Aimed at a select group of key representatives of the tourist and journalist community, the Happy Hour event provided guests with an exceptional chance to taste traditional Polish meals served in a distinctly novel way. Damian Wawrzyniak, one of the most famous Polish chefs of the young generation, who for the last several years has been promoting Polish cuisine and products in the UK, compiled the menu. Wawrzyniak received the Order of the Rebirth of Poland in recognition of his position in the U.K. and was selected to cook for Prince William and Kate Middleton the last time they were staying in Poland.

This year Damian Wawrzyniak was also the official catering supplier at the Polish National Booth for the entire duration of the trade show. All meals cooked by him apply exclusively natural ingredients and are based on traditional recipes.

Happy Hour was also accompanied by a competition with awards funded by our exhibitors. Participants could win trips to Poland combined with city tours. Finally, POT prepared a special competition for media representatives and bloggers attending the trade show. All guests visiting the Polish booth were offered apples and regional apple juice.