For the last ten years Polish nationals have been traveling a lot abroad, and nearly all of them for tourist purposes, holidays and on business. The image of a Polish tourist has decidedly changed for the better. Millions of foreign visitors come to Poland every year. Many of them travel on business and are delegated by cultural or scientific institutions. The greatest improvements, however, are due to the changes in Polish tourist industry. There are more and more hotels and pensions of high and medium standard in Poland's major tourist centers such as Cracow, Warsaw, Gdansk, Wroclaw, Poznan and many other attractive tourist destinations. At present, Poland can offer limitless opportunities to those who wish to spend a fabulous stay or weekend. Tourism in contemporary Europe is an important branch of national economy. It is also a way of international rapprochement; tourism promotes tolerance, mutual understanding, and teaches respect for other nations heritage.
Since May 2004, Poland has become a member of the European Union together with nine other countries. This event has greatly affected tourism in this region, because difficulties in trans-border traffic have been removed. All new EU members will go through a period of accelerated modernization that should improve their tourist infrastructure and accessibility. Other good perspectives include the liberalization of air market and the appearance of cheap flights. In addition to that, we expect further development of tourist facilities, improvement in the quality of services, and creation of new, attractive tourist products.
Welcome to Poland!