Poland Tourism: New Kid On The Block

Jyoti Koul - New Delhi

Realising that India has a huge outbound market segment, new markets are trying to capture their share of the outbound pie. Among the latest after Cyprus is Poland, which intends to be active very soon with respect to luring Indians. As Indians constitute a very big outbound market of about six million tourists per year, this new entrant is eyeing about two to three per cent of the same. The promotional strategy to target Indian tourists to Poland will start off by raising the interest of tour operators and other partners of the industry followed by an active mass-media promotion.

While commenting on the products and destinations that Poland is planning to promote in India, Wlodzimierz Madziar, second secretary, Embassy of the Republic of Poland said, "Poland can offer Indian tourists some unique and competitive products. The USP of our country is its pristine surroundings offering tremendous natural beauty. We have some very old lakes, wilderness, marshes, and rivers that are still untouched by modern civilisation. As nearly 30 per cent of Poland is covered by forests, one can find rare species of plants and animals out here."

While offering recreational options like hunting and fishing, Poland is an ideal destination for honeymooners as it offers romantic castles and cottages. The destination offers a rich cultural life that includes concerts, exhibitions, theatre and opera besides nightlife and exciting shopping opportunities," informed Madziar.

Talking on tourism promotions, Poland will focus on 'activity-oriented tourism', as the destination offers some unique adventure experiences such sailing on the Baltic Sea - which is cold and dangerous with sharp winds and short bold waves. However, the lack of direct flights between India and Poland could be an obstacle in developing tourism between the two countries. Nonetheless, Poland would consider establishing a link. "In future, the private carriers (or even national carriers) will be interested in establishing direct connection between Poland and India. But at present, the flights between Poland and India are not an issue. There are some connections through Moscow, Kiev, Vienna, Paris, and Frankfurt that are convenient and inexpensive too."