Titles awarded as part of the Polish Tourist Brands project were presented in the Bank Polski building on 16 September 2019. The event was attended by, i.a. Witold Bańka, Minister of Sports and Tourism, Anna Krupka, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Sports and Tourism, and Robert Andrzejczyk, President of Polish Tourism Organisation (Polska Organizacja Turystyczna – POT).

“Poland as a destination is a popular choice among both domestic and foreign travellers. In 2018 the number of trips undertaken by Poles grew by more than 19% in comparison with 2015, and the number of inbound tourists – by more than 17%. To maintain and reinforce this trend, we need to see cooperation also at a local level. This is precisely one of the reasons for launching the Polish Tourist Brands initiative”, explained Witold Bańka, Minister of Sports and Tourism.

Top tourist brand operators that signed up for the project received the titles of Polish Tourist Brand (recognising participants meeting criteria in the field of good practices of managing and promoting a tourist brand) and Polish Tourist Brand – candidate (aimed at participants aspiring to the Polish Tourist Brand title).

“Polish Tourist Brand” titles:

Beskidy Mountains
Land of Loess Gorges
Lublin
Cieszyn Silesia
Toruń
“Polish Tourist Brand – candidate” titles

Krakow-Częstochowa Upland
Western Masuria
Białowieska Forest
Cycling Route Around the Tatras
Zamość
Land of Święty Krzyż hill
All qualifying entrants, with special emphasis on candidates to the Polish Tourist Brand title, will receive access to support delivered by the Ministry of Sports and Tourism in the form of training sessions, expert advice, organisation of audits and fam trips, as well as participation in market research on the image of particular tourist destinations.  

“I wish to congratulate all winners of this year’s edition. I believe that the support of advisory and expert bodies will lead to the establishment of tourist regions attracting visitors with the high quality of provided services and consistent marketing. Since an expansion of the project is in the plans, I believe that this is just the beginning and the group of Polish Tourist Brands will keep growing”, said Anna Krupka, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Sports and Tourism.  

Devised by the Ministry of Sports and Tourism in cooperation with Polish Tourism Organisation, the Polish Tourist Brands initiative envisages the establishment of tourist product packages that would create a single coherent whole promoted as a tourist brand. It was also included in Poland’s Strategy for Responsible Development.

“The Polish Tourist Brands project is intended to make sustainable tourism increasingly popular in Poland and ensure the development of areas that act as the country’s gems. Their beauty and attractive character have the potential to draw the attention of not only our fellow countrymen, but also an increasingly numerous group of foreign tourists. POT will guarantee a promotional campaign in the domestic and global market for the main laureates. For this purpose we shall apply, i.a. tourist trade fairs, invite journalists and bloggers and stage marketing workshops for their operators. In addition, winners of the initiative can expect promotion through Poland’s national tourist portal and POT’s social media”, assured President of Polish Tourism Organisation, Robert Andrzejczyk.

The project’s implementation contributes to reinforcing the image of Poland as an attractive tourist destination boasting impressive cultural and natural assets. Its another objective is to improve the quality of tourism development’s managing, raising the standards of provided services and rationalising marketing activities conducted at a local and regional level so to facilitate the management and promotion of so-called tourism regions going beyond administrative borders.

Find more information at: https://www.polskiemarkiturystyczne.gov.pl/