The National Tourism Organization of Poland has announced a new campaign targeted at UK travellers that is designed to highlight some of the unique attractions and experiences visitors to the country can enjoy.
Although the initiative is focused mostly on Brits, other key European markets such as France and Germany will also be targeted.
The main goal of the Polish National Tourist Office is to try and reinforce a more positive image of the country, which suffers from somewhat negative misconceptions and stereotypes that harm its appeal as a holiday destination.
During a press conference to announce the new campaign, their spokesperson explained, “The plan is to demonstrate Poland as an intriguing, thought-provoking destination which has lots of rich experiences to offer.”
The move comes as more and more foreign interest is being shown in the country in the run up to the Euro 2012 football finals which will be held jointly in Poland and the Ukraine next summer. Four of the biggest cities in the country – Warsaw, Poznan, Wroclaw and Gdansk – will host matches during the tournament, and all of these cities are now being made accessible from the UK via direct flights.
To further bolster the initiative, the government of Poland also announced yesterday that it was to announce measures “very soon” that will fast-track the visa application process for the duration of the finals. While EU citizens don’t require visas for the country, many European nationals still do, including those from Russia, Serbia and several other states.
“We are planning to facilitate easily obtainable visas for anyone involved in the Euro finals,” said Jan Borowski, the deputy foreign minister of Poland. “Players, coaches, referees, activists, UEFA and FIFA personnel, doctors, TV people, even fans.”
“The plan for fans is that, much as Russia have done before, we will use a valid match ticket to grant on-the-spot visas.”