The amount of people who chose Poland as their holiday destination is increasing. The majority of tourists are the Poles who work abroad. Despite an increasing demand for vacant places in the Polish holiday resorts, it's relatively easy to find an attractive offer.
The Polish tourism industry has been registering a growth in the amount of those who are interested in spending vacation in Poland, in at least two years. It is seen in the Baltic area in particular. There are a few reasons for choosing this destination. - The previous seasons were sweltering hot. Thus, the weather encouraged to spend the vacation by the Polish sea. You can also notice that infrastructure of the Polish resorts has developed. Increasing number of objects offers additional attractions, such as swimming pool, spa or activities for children. Moreover, let's be honest, holiday in Poland are still cheaper than the majority of the foreign offers – said Eliasz Polanski of e-wczasy.pl website.
Decision regarding the holidays in Poland is easier to make due to an increasing amount of the last minute offers. The base of available accommodations is increasing as well. If you keep your expectations realistic, it is possible to choose your destination a few days before your departure. - The percentage of people who are looking at last minute accommodation is increasing each year. Approximately 15% of all bookings are being sent 1-3 days before the departure. Of course, it is worth noting that access to accommodations in places as Miedzyzdroje, Leba, Kolobrzeg, Sopot or Zakopane will be low – said Mateusz Goliat of Noclegowo.pl website, the accommodation browser. - What is interesting, 7% of users who are searching for accommodation via our website, are the Poles who live abroad. Moreover, we registered a 50% increase in activity of the foreign tourists in year on year relation – added Goliat.
Most of the Poles who are planning their vacation in their homeland, live in Germany, the United Kingdom and Holland. It is not seldom that the Poles who live in the USA or the Scandinavian countries, are considering holiday in Poland as well.
The sooner, the better?
The sooner you plan your vacation, the bigger chances you have for booking a spot in one of the most popular tourist destinations. - I booked a hotel for my September vacation in Mragowo in April. The travel agency warned me that demand for accommodations in popular locations will be huge this year – said Dobrawa Slosarczyk. She is going on her vacation with her husband and their two-year old daughter. How come did she chose Poland? - I always dreamed of going to Mazury. Moreover, I think that the danger of terrorist attacks, especially at the foreign airports, is high. Perhaps, I'd take the chance to go abroad, if I didn't have a daughter. However, it is difficult for me to imagine a trip like that with a small child. Second of all, I simply don't want to tempt fate in the current political situation.
The nearer, the safer?
According to experts, millions of Europeans share the above doubts regarding safety. What's worse, these anxieties are partly justified. The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs uses a four-grade scale that defines a degree of possible danger in particular countries. Recently popular Egypt and Tunisia are marked orange, with a “Do not travel” note. - It's difficult to hide that the common fear of terrorism has some real bases, unfortunately. The world is becoming increasingly dangerous because of the activity of many terrorist organizations. Due to an unexpected dynamics of the events in Tunisia, as well as in Egypt, it will take many years to change the situation in these countries. The tourists anxieties for journeys to exotic locations, is most likely to increase incomes of the Polish companies in the short-term – noticed professor Stanislaw Koziej, the former chairman of the National Security Bureau, International Security Strategy Specialist.
Entrepreneurs don't hide that they are aware of such situation, and they treat it as their chance: - The terrorist danger is high in the countries that were previously liked, as well as relatively cheap. There's no hiding that this is another reason for increasing amount of tourists going to the Polish seaside, for example – said without any doubts Eliasz Polanski of e-wczasy.pl website.
The more, the cheaper?
Does a common belief that Poland is a safe country increase the value of the Polish tourist market, as well as reflects in growing prices? Not necessarily. Kamil Kusnierek is the president of the Esquadra association. This is a non-government organization based in Gubin, near the Polish-German border. He has organized a trip to Swierardow-Zdroj (a popular mountain resort) for fifty-one people in high season. - 170 PLN per person, including food, as well as transportation from Gubin (approximately 170 km – author's note)? This is a superb price! - Kusnierek could not hide his enthusiasm. However, finding an offer like this required quite effort. - We began searching in approximately two months before the planned departure. It took us a while to find a proper offer. We chose the fourth, or maybe even the fifth offer. We decided to stay in a guest house, instead of a hotel.
Where else, apart from hotels and guest houses, can we search for advantageous accommodation offers? Private quarters can be a good alternative. - Approximately 40% of inquiries on our websites regards private offers. This is the most popular type of accommodation that tourists search for. Not only are they cheaper than hotels. They are also more intimate than guest houses. Apartments are the second most popular type of accommodation. In most cases, they are fully equipped, and for the exclusive use of the tenant – said Mateusz Goliat of noclegowo.pl website.
We decided to check the available private quarter offers online. Their huge advantage are conveniences: own bathroom, kitchenette and acceptance for pets that is increasingly demanded by tourists. Prices of the cheapest private quarters in Leba are within the range of 35-55 PLN per person. Apartments in Tricity are even cheaper (20-50 PLN per person, depending on the date of arrival). If you're looking for savings, especially when going for a holiday from abroad, not only can you find them in favorable accommodation prices, but in currency exchange as well. For example, if you exchange 1000 pounds to PLN via online currency exchange company like Cinkciarz.pl, you will save 256 PLN in comparison to the exchange rates offered by banks (currency exchange rates as given by Cinkciarz.pl from 01.07.2016).