Poland to star at ITB Berlin 2011

Next year Poland will be the Partner Country of ITB Berlin. What objectives are you pursuing through your collaboration with the fair?

As the world’s largest tourism fair ITB is the industry’s most important meeting place and, of course, the most important place for many travellers from the region to exchange information. As the partner country of ITB 2011 we want to present ourselves to the world as a modern and attractive destination at the heart of Europe. We will be working together with Messe Berlin to present Poland’s attractions at several press conferences and forums.

- Do you already have some firm ideas about what aspects of your country you intend to present at ITB Berlin 2011?

The year 2011 is of course a deliberate choice. One year before the start of the European Championship we want to present Poland to the world as the hosts of this major footballing event. This means that football will feature strongly in the design of our exhibition hall and in the supporting programme.

- As the hosts of the European Championship what role does this event play in tourism in your country?

A very big part. As part of Poland’s preparations for the European Championship enormous infrastructural investments have already been made, and still are being made, which will benefit not only football fans but all travellers visiting Poland. All the airports are being expanded and new ones are being constructed, and thousands of kilometres of roads and railways are being built or improved. This will made Poland more accessible, especially for guests from the neighbouring country, Germany. Billions are also being invested in new hotels. Each year between 100 and 200 new hotels are being opened, including many in the 4 and 5 star categories.

- As an insider, what do you recommend that vacationers this year should definitely not miss?

Even without the European Championship there are many good reasons for visiting Poland this year. Music-lovers from all over the world will be coming for the many hundreds of events being held to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Fryderyk Chopin, and will be visiting the places where he lived and worked. In the west of Masuria there are celebrations this year to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the construction of the Ostroda-Elblag Canal, the only one that actually carries ships over the hills. This summer in Gdañsk the Dominican Market will again attract several million visitors to what is Poland’s largest public festival with a tradition going back 750 years. And there are of course many other good reasons for visiting Poland: vast areas of unspoiled nature in Masuria and Podlasie, the 500 kilometres of Baltic coastline with its splendid beaches, dunes and cliffs, and the historic old towns with their active nightlife, especially during the summer months.

Featured image credit (Old Town panorama of Warsaw): Ockra/iStock