Interview with JANUSZ BYLINSKI CONSUL GENERAL of the Republic of Poland

Janusz Bylinski is the Consul General of the Republic of Poland in India and here he shares with us the growing popularity of Poland as an emerging holiday destination for the Indian travellers.

How long have you been the Consul General of Poland in India and has there been an increase in terms of visitors to Poland during this tenure?
I have been the Consul General of Poland in Mumbai for seven months now. During my tenure I am witnessing a constant increase in number of visitors from India to my country. The majority go there for business - import, export, sale and implementation of IT solutions and investment. Visitors account for almost 15% of issued visas.

What is the role of your office besides issuing visas and how do you encourage opportunities of trade between India and Poland?
Besides issuing visas and discharging other consular functions my office is active in promotion of trade and business between our two countries. We organize or help organizing business missions to Mumbai and other cities in our jurisdiction (covering seven Indian states), launch seminars and give lectures on business opportunities in Poland, distribute promotional literature, disseminate information, entertain business enquiries and forward them to trade bodies and individual companies, carry out match-making activity, and co-operate closely with all government and business self-governing bodies in bringing together Polish entrepreneurs and their Indian counterparts. We study the economic growth perspectives in India and indicate to our businessmen the prospective areas of co-operation. Promotion of investment and tourism comes under this activity.

What is the total number of tourist arrivals into Poland and how has it grown over the years?
In the last few years tourism in Poland has become a thriving business and the inbound tourism generates around 5% of GDP which is slightly more than the global average. Only one city, Krakow, attracted 10 million visitors last year. Europe has discovered Poland in a big way. Europeans do not only visit, but invest in hotels, resorts and restaurants, as well as buy real estate farmland and old manors for themselves. They are attracted by economic growth prospects, availability of land and the beautiful nature. Tourists from other regions, like the Americas, Japan, Korea, the Middle East and China also visit Poland in steadily increasing numbers

What are the initiatives taken by Poland to attract travellers from India?
With the growth and improvement of tourist infrastructure, and the higher self-confidence of the industry, we feel that we have the potential of catering to visitors from non-traditional sources, and as we look to the phenomenal development of India as an economic power, and the built-up of its middle and upper middle class with healthy consumption appetite and growing refinement of taste, we believe that Poland could offer them a pleasant and interesting diversion from their traditional destinations.

The Polish Tourism Organization (PTO) is the government body in charge of the promotion of tourism, has selected India as a priority target in Asia for its promotional activity. The Organization plans to organize a series of road shows in India, encourages Polish tour operators to visit trade fairs in Indian cities, and appoints Indian consultants to provide advice and reach prospective customer segments. The PTO also arranges study trips to Poland for journalists and tourist industry experts in order to acquaint them with the existing potential.

Why is Poland a value for money destination for Indian travellers and what are the experiences that the country has to offer to the Indian traveller ?
Poland is an EU member since 2004, but it is still cheaper and more affordable than Western European countries. Yet in many ways it is truly European, with all the lifestyles and amenities the European culture can offer. It has vibrant urban centers and quiet rustic countryside which hospitably accepts lovers of ecological tourism and the natural rural environment. Several monumental and natural sites enjoy the status of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, for instance the historic city of Krakow and the neighbouring unique ancient salt mine with a labyrinth of corridors 350 km long, crystalline salt halls and an underground health spa, church and restaurants.

Other UNESCO sites include gothic and renaissance towns, an enormous medieval castle built of red brick (there are many other impressive castles too!), the biggest forest in Europe, and a few other ancient constructions. One remarkable fact is that Poland has a great number of National Parks and wildlife preserves, with virgin forests, pristine lakes, mountain parks and scenic undulated steppe-and-forest areas. It is home to the largest European mammal - wild bison, called "zhubr". It has also a great variety of wild birds, deer and elk species, and abundance of fish. By European standards, there are in Poland several areas of rare natural beauty, where one can totally relax in harmony with nature or actively pursue healthy activities.

Some of these are:

Mazurian Lake District - A vast land often referred to as "a land of a thousand lakes", which hardly does justice to its name as the actual number of lakes is about four thousand. Most are linked by rivers and canals. Adjacent to it is the Suwalki region, outstanding for its scenic postglacial landscape, bizarre geology, climatic features, vegetation and wildlife. Masuria and the Suwalki region are a paradise for yachting enthusiasts, canoeists, hikers and walkers, and everyone who loves calm and peace. Extensive woods provide a network of ramblers' trails ideal for hiking, biking and horse-riding. There are also numerous Gothic castles and churches built by the Teutonic Knights (a Crusader order) who once governed this land.

Pomeranian Lake District - extends across the southern part of Eastern and Western Pomerania and includes several lake complexes as well as the primeval Tuchola Forest. It's a paradise for loners and nature lovers who stay away from popular resorts with their crowded beaches and noisy discos. But you don't have to be a recluse to take delight in the clean lakes and rivers with their good fishing grounds, or in the vast forests.

The Tatras - The highest range in the whole Carpathians, the Tatras are considered by the lowlanders to be the only "true" mountains in Poland. The Tatras are a summer favourite with tourist groups and individual hikers, while the throngs of skiers they attract in winter are just as big.

The Tatras have plenty to offer. They are Poland's only alpine-type mountains with scenic trails and breathtaking vistas. At the foot of the Tatras lies Zakopane, "Poland's winter capital" with an exceptionally rich folk culture: customs, music, costumes, dialect and distinctive architecture.

The Baltic Sea Coast has breathtaking stretches of sandy beaches and dunes, small harbours, luxurious holiday resorts and some of the busiest entertainment and night-life centres. Sea cruises are available. Water is cold, but the northern sea climate with its brisk winds, iodine-rich air and cold sea breeze is extremely healthy and refreshing. Two weeks spent on northern beaches can help the most exhausted traveller to unwind and restore his energy, a truly rejuvenating experience.

Everywhere in Poland accommodation is available in comfortable hotels, spas and health centres as well as in small and cozy cottages in forest, lake and rural areas. Health tourism is growing and a number of luxury spas and beauty centres are now available, using local and imported health products. Ecotourism is centered on small private pensions in farmland or farms-turned-tourist cottages, with the owners offering full board and several attractions like fishing trips and horse riding. Those who like holidaying in style may find accommodation in old palaces and rural manors furnished with genuine antiques.

The only problem the Indians can face is the rarity of pure vegetarian food. But this is also changing, and in several cottages and pensions food can be ordered to the visitors' taste. My view is that development of Indian tourism in Poland should ideally go in conjunction with Indian Investments in Hospitality Industry where there are still a lot of opportunities and undeveloped segments, especially in the middle tier. Indian entrepreneurs could cater to specifically Indian tastes and eating habits, whereas the natural beauty of the land appeals equally to all cultures and nations.

There is a feast for culture vultures as well: a great variety of music concerts and theatre performances, and a number of theme festivals. Poles love music, so they play, sing and enjoy all kinds of music from classical to jazz and rock. Cities like Krakow, Warsaw, Wroclaw and Gdansk reverberate with symphonies, operas, live pop and rock concerts and club music. In summer cultural festivals are organized in cities and holiday resorts. Art is vibrant, and so is design and fashion.

Poles, the majority of them, not only the upper crust of urban society, are open-minded and fun loving people. They usually have well developed emotional intelligence and are easy to get along with. Visitors from various countries and cultures agree that Poles are more hospitable and social than many other European nations. They would readily invite new friends to their homes as well as spend with them long hours out, chatting, having fun and sharing their thoughts and emotions. Young people, especially in major cities, are often bright, self-confident and refined.

They love entertainment, fun and socializing. Nowadays many of them are fluent in English and well versed with international environment. Poles are fond of holidaying in their countryside and welcome foreigners there. Favourite pastimes include fishing, hunting, horse riding, sailing and kayaking, as well as evening barbecues. Horse riding is the activity for which Poland is famous, and it is widely available. Also popular is mountain hiking and mountaineering. In winter, ski resorts are crowded and for good reason they offer beautiful landscapes and facilities for winter sports.

The large cities are modern and fast developing. They have shopping malls which are among the best in Europe. These malls are attractively built to impress and offer a large variety of top quality goods - a feast for buyers and food and entertainment. After a day of shopping and sightseeing there is vibrant nightlife- stylish clubs with excellent music and pubs and restaurants. My favorite pub in Warsaw is an Oriental lounge called "Shisha" in which Middle Easterners, Indians and Poles together dance and chat on weekends till the wee hours of the morning.

There are many geniuses who are of Polish origin. Tell us about some of these famous Polish personalities

Poland, like several other nations have produced personalities of world fame. A few of them became really universally known because of their genius and exceptional energy. One of them was the famous astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) who, as the first in modern times, developed a heliocentric theory of the Solar System. He was born in Torun, another medieval gothic city well worth visiting. His achievements are now repeated by a living Polish astronomer Aleksander Wolszczan (born 1946 and presently working in the USA) who was the first scholar to prove the existence of a planetary system in the Universe outside of our Solar System.

Maria Sklodowska Curie (1867-1934) was the first female professor at the Sorbonne University in Paris. Together with her husband she discovered polonium and radium, two radioactive elements, and initiated the nuclear radiation research. She was twice awarded the Nobel Prize: once in Physics and once in Chemistry. She now is a popular figure in all school textbooks around the world. Chopin is a famous composer (19th century), among the greatest in Europe. A number of Polish writers won the Nobel Prize in literature. Lech Walesa, the trade union leader and once icon of struggle against communism, later elected President , is another Polish Nobel Prize winner.

One of the most famous Poles in recent times was the Pope John Paul II, an exceptional spiritual and moral leader, who restored Poland's confidence and morale and helped achieve the peaceful transition from communism to democracy and systemic reform. He revived the spirit of catholic Christianity in modern era.

What is the role of Poland as part of the Visegrad or V4 group?
Visegrad Group was created as a political grouping between four central European countries: Poland, Czech, Slovakia and Hungary. It was meant to introduce regional integration before these countries joined the European Union, and give them a common weight in the negotiations, while highlighting the specific issues of this region. Poland played a very active role in this group from the very beginning due to its size, economic significance and political initiative.

Which are the major cities worth visiting for the first time traveller to Poland?
The major cities are those in which the glorious past meets the new era economy and the hustle and bustle of modern life. Besides the capital Warsaw, I strongly recommend visit to two exceptional cities: Krakow and Wroclaw. Krakow is one of the most frequently visited cities in Europe and is the cultural capital of Poland. It is a totally preserved old city, the royal castle and the largest central market square in Europe. One of the oldest universities was established here in 1364. Krakow is a city that never sleeps; it has many attractions for tourists and a very vibrant nightlife (clubs, pubs, restaurants).

At the same time, it is home to the modern IT sector companies, both national and international. From Krakow it is convenient to make trips to the high mountains in the South. Another attractive city is Wroclaw. It suffered during World War II, but was then carefully reconstructed. One of the most successful urban centers in Poland, Wroclaw is a hub of art and culture and also a center for IT companies. A few Indian companies have invested there. Wroclaw is a candidate city for the next WORLD EXPO exhibition.

How does the Polish Tourism Organization liase with your office to ensure the growth in tourism to Poland.
The Polish Tourism Organization is keen to promote Poland in India as tourist destination. It plans several events to highlight the existing potential. The Consulate will be actively participating in the organizing these events. We can also supply all the necessary information to tour operators who take interest in developing this destination.

Of late even Bollywood seems to have been attracted to Poland? Which Bollywood movies have been shot in Poland and in what regions?
Bollywood has been attracted to Polish landscapes and locations. "Fanaa" was partly shot in Polish mountains and the producers were pleasantly surprised by the excellent services they obtained. At present, several companies and individuals are actively trying to develop further business along these lines. Poland has its own film industry and there are possibilities of co-production and collaboration.

Which is your preferred holiday destination in Poland?
My preferred holiday destination in Poland is the lake with dense forests and rustic cottages, where I can completely relax and unwind, but when I need more excitement and winds of change, I go to the seaside.

What is your preferred holiday destination in India?
I've been in India for 7 months now - too little to have visited much of the country. From what I know, I think the most attractive destinations to me are the Himalayas and Kerala, but I realize there are many other fabulous places, worth visiting.

What is the awareness about India amongst the people of Poland?
India has rather good connotations in the mind of an ordinary Pole. Among the great nations of Asia, it has been rather well known and often visited. Officially, we have been friendly with each other and enjoy mutual respect. India is popularly known and acknowledged as source of culture, religion, medical practices and spiritual insights. From the materialistic viewpoint, there are Indian shops in almost every city for many years now and they continue their supply of colourful garments and various handicraft items. India is a legendary source of spices and hot cuisine. Today, especially among the young people, interest in Indian culture, music and dance is visible. Bollywood films are sometimes screened in our movie theatres.

Bigger numbers of Indian citizens travel to Poland nowadays, for work, temporary assignments related to IT solutions, business, as well as to visit their families. They stay in various places and are not just confined to Warsaw - the capital of Poland. There is an Indian community in my country, relatively small but noticeable, active in trade and the hospitality industry. This community is small compared to its counterparts in UK and some other Western countries, therefore there are no issues of integration vs. separateness, conflicting cultural values, etc. There are several Indian investors in Poland these days and they help create jobs, mainly in the new economy.

The number of Poles travelling to India is on the increase every year and they bring with them memories and awareness of India as a culturally rich and diverse country. Some of them come here for internship in the flagship companies of "India Inc." and they return home with extremely valuable experiences, important for their life and careers.

What way can your office assist with information for people who wish to visit Poland for a holiday?
The travel business is naturally best carried out by specialized travel agents and tour operators. You can also find information on Poland through the Internet. We can always answer specific questions related to tourist destinations, regulations in force, and even furnish practical information necessary for a tourist who does not know much about the country.

Lastly your message to readers
I extend my best regards to the Indian readers of this magazine and personally invite them to visit my country.