Robert Andrzejczyk, President of Polish Tourism Organisation (Polska Organizacja Turystyczna - POT), is the new Vice President of European Travel Commission elected at its 95th General Meeting in Tallinn. His opponents were the presidents of Serbian and Slovenian national tourism organisations.

“This is a great honor and an enormous distinction. I am very glad to receive the support of so many members. Thank you for your trust - I promise to work hard for the sake of the European tourism community. At the same time, I am glad that Poland will be in the very centre of the decision-making processes affecting European-level tourism”, says Robert Andrzejczyk.

The Polish candidate garnered the votes of 13 representatives from 26 countries. The president of Serbia’s national organization got 6 votes, and the representative of Slovenia - one less. Two people abstained from voting.

Robert Andrzejczyk will be responsible for the area of advocacy. Among the main objectives the new ETC vice president sets for himself, mention is due to streamlining the process of granting visas, especially in the Schengen Area, and making Europe increasingly accessible. The vice president of ETC gets elected for a two-year term.

“Entrusting this role to the president of POT demonstrates confidence in Poland and recognition of what we are doing for the growth of the tourism sector. In this context, it is worth mentioning that recently Poland was one of the first EU member states to timely and comprehensively implement the provisions of a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on tourism. Our quick and efficient actions both in the field of legislation and the promotion of Poland abroad are increasingly recognized in the international arena. I offer my congratulations to President Andrzejczyk and wish him a successful term”, said Minister of Sports and Tourism Witold Bańka.  

Dr Robert Andrzejczyk has been the President of Polish Tourism Organisation since September 2017. Just before his appointment he was associated with the Ministry of Sports and Tourism. In addition, he was also concerned with international cooperation while working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance. Prior to joining the civil service Andrzejczyk was for several years involved in public relations and marketing research. He is a graduate of the National School of Public Administration, the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń and the Adam Mickiewicz University.

European Travel Commission is an international organization established in 1948 and responsible for the promotion of Europe as a tourist destination. The key promotional undertakings of ETC are aimed at overseas markets: North and South America plus Asia. It also acts as a major platform for exchanging market data. ETC comprises membership from 32 European national tourism organisations. While ETC itself is not a part of official European Union structures, it receives some of EU funding. The European Travel Commission is based in Brussels.

Polish Tourism Organisation is a government organization subject to the Ministry of Sports and Tourism. Its objective is to promote Poland as an attractive and modern tourist destination distinguished by high-quality services and friendly prices. POT is involved in undertakings for the sake of promoting and developing Polish tourism both at home and abroad.