Interview with Rafal Szmytke - President of Polish Tourist Organization (PTO)


Rafal Szmytke- President of Polish Tourist Organization (PTO), during his visit to India, talks about the emerging opportunities in tourism for Poland. What is the purpose of your visit to India? After last year’s study visit to Outbound Travel Mart we've decided to take part in this successful event in 2008. So this year we had prepared two National Stands at both OTM Mumbai and OTM New Delhi. Along with delegation of PTO came also one of the Polish leading incoming tour operators- Holiday Travel, strongly interested in cooperation with its Indian counterparts. Besides our presence at OTM fair, we also had an opportunity to showcase Poland during a promotional meeting held at Indian Merchant's Chamber organized for the Mumbai Travel Industry. The topic of this presentation was “India: Poland Emerging Opportunities for Tourism Potential”.

Poland w.e.f. December 21, 2007 is included in the list of Schengen Countries. In what way will this help more visitors to visit Poland? Definitely, now it will be much easier for international visitors to reach Poland. For all those travellers who already have a Schengen visa in their passports there's simply no need to queue at Polish Consulates for new, separate Polish visa. Due to this situation we expect that arrivals from such destinations as India and China might grow significantly.

What according to you are the places to visit for the various profiles to Poland ? A) For students- I would suggest visiting couple of vibrant cities which are at the same time seats of renowned Polish Universities, Polytechnics or Medical Academies - Cities such as Warsaw, Krakow, Gdansk, Poznan or Wroclaw. There's plenty to do during the day - like sightseeing or shopping and also during evenings as nightlife and entertainment in these cities can be truly amazing. B) For Honeymooners- Honeymooners tend to visit pristine romantic sites and stay in luxury hotels, with superb Spa facilities. Such places do exist in Poland- I would propose small cosy towns like Zakopane hill resort in the Tatra mountains, or similar Karpacz hill resort in Karkonosze mountains in Lower Silesia. C) For High End Travellers- They might be interested in spending their time at one of the posh city hotels in downtown Warsaw or Krakow as well as shopping. There are a couple of top five star hotels with ultramodern design and decor, located in the very heart of the city, nearby to newly opened shopping malls with great shopping deals every season. D) For Families: I would highly recommend visiting some Polish cities and their vicinities which abound in interesting and unique UNESCO World Heritage sites - like Malbork Castle the biggest red-brick medieval fortress of Europe or truly exceptional Wieliczka Salt Mine just one hour’s drive from the downtown of Krakow. These are the places that move the imagination of children all over the world! E) Incentives as ell as upmarket travellers should visit either the centre of Poland- Warsaw or the most attractive town of the South-Krakow. Creative atmosphere of these cities as well as the infrastructure coincides very well with the programme of any incentive group. F) For Senior citizens and those who want to know more about Poland and Polish people- Visits to Royal Residences- castles and palaces are also important in order to understand the history and past of each country. And these are located mostly in Warsaw as well as in former capital of Poland- Krakow. To learn about modern Polish history travellers might visit city of Gdañsk, situated in northern Poland at the Baltic Sea. It is there, where Solidarity Movement was born and led to Independence of the country from communist regime. A must is a visit to Auschwitz Birkenau Memorial Museum, which has also found its way to UNESCO World Heritage List. This is a former Nazi concentration camp established during World War II. G) For lovers of art, music, culture and sports A good idea seems to be arrival in Warsaw during International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition, events like Jazz Jamboree or Warsaw Summer Jazz Days. If Indian travellers get hungry for great sport,I would recommend them to visit Zakopane during the winter World Cup in Ski Jumping. The ambience of the place is wonderful, full of passion and sporting spirit.

What according to you is the ideal number of days should one spend during their first visit to Poland and which places should be included. One week of traveling in Poland may be sufficient to experience the country for the first time visitor to our country. One may touch down either in Krakow or Warsaw, then visit the city for couple of days and move to another region. A must is a short sojourn in Zakopane with splendid views of granite peaks and charming folk culture of Highlanders.

Poland is a land of diversity - wildlife, mountains, cultural experiences- Can you elaborate further on the range of experiences one can have during their visit to Poland. There are more regions in Poland worthy of deeper tourist exploration . In the first place, worth mentioning are undoubtedly National Parks. Poland has 23 National parks, some of them being protected by Ramsar Convention, UNESCO or Man and Biosphere projects. Such a unique site is Bialowieski National Park, established in 1932 which makes it one of the oldest nature reserves in Poland. It covers the central part of the Bialowieski Forest which is known worldwide for its vast, virgin forest and breeding grounds of the European Bison. In northern Poland, stretching along the Baltic Sea not far from Gdañsk itself lies Slowinski National Park. The biggest attraction of the place is shifting dunes, which, as they move, uncover dead tree stumps-the fossilized remains of forests once growing there. Of course there are many more wonderful places I can mention about- no doubt Poland is a Wonderland of Nature!

How many visitors from India have travelled to Poland in 2007 and what is the estimated growth you predict in 2008 and 2009 from India and Asia? As for now we still do not have the statistics for the Indian market in 2007.According to the statistical data provided by Institute of Tourism based in Warsaw, there were 9900 Indian passport holders crossing Polish border in 2006. But that means that not all visitors out of those 9900 were coming directly from India.It will be even harder to predict the numbers for 2008 and 2009, more so as Poland is a part of Schengen now- we find it very difficult to estimate the number of arrivals as these numbers will surely not correspond to the data given by Polish Consulates and Embassies worldwide.

One of the major requirements for people travelling to Poland is Indian food and vegetarian cuisine. Does Poland offer enough culinary choices for the Indian traveller? So far you can find Indian restaurants in Warsaw and Krakow- and these are the two most important cities for an international traveller when visiting Poland. Nevertheless Indian delicacies can be spotted at some different places of tourist interest where some dishes of international and fusion cuisine are being offered. I also believe that whenever an organized group of travellers is coming to Poland, Polish tour operators and hoteliers providing services in our country would offer special menu to its clients. Food should not be too big an issue these days, I strongly believe we can manage and adopt to Indian requirements.

Which are the best months to visit Poland for the Indian traveller? I would say the best time to see Poland at its most beautiful season is during early summer till early Autumn- it means starting from May-June till September and early October. The temperature is nice and warm, normally above 20 degrees Celsius in early summer and autumn, and above 25-30 degrees Celsius in mid Summer (July-August). There's not much rain at that time, days are long and sunny, scenery is lush and fresh green.

Poland has the finest mountain ranges especially the Tatras? Which are the months to experience the snow and ski holidays in Poland? The best time to ski and experience snow in Poland falls between December and March. However skiing can happen not only in the Tatras which are the highest of the Polish mountain ranges. There are excellent skiing slopes in Karkonosze Mountains in Lower Silesia Region as well as in Beskidy mountains not far from Tatras themselves. Ski instructor assistance is right there on the spot as well as ski equipment could be hired. Many hotels situated close to the ski centres offer free of charge daily shuttle service.

What is the awareness about India and Indian people in Poland and amongst the Poles? You would be surprised how strong a position India has in Polish minds. We traditionally perceive India as a colourful and a magical country, full of spiritual diversity, a country of amazing customs and traditions, incredible wildlife and outstanding scenery. This is one of the most exotic destinations Polish traveller might think of! Nowadays a big impact on Polish popculture is for example Indian cinema as there are shows of various Bollywood blockbusters every few months. People practice yoga, they are interested in Indian philosophy and art. It's in fashion to buy or have oriental goods at home. Maybe a little bit more slowly, but we will also start catching up with Indian cuisine, too.

Which is your preferred holiday destination in Poland for summer and for winter? As I like very much the mountains, both in summer as well in winter I am keen on spending holidays with my family in Bieszczady. These are the most wildest and remote mountains within the Carpathian range in Poland.

What are your impressions on your visit to India and what message do you have for the readers? India is a vast territory, with an impressive culture and tradition but it 's also a fast growing dynamic economy that none can ignore these days. It's a country with great potential in almost every field of economy, undoubtedly very encouraging and promising market in world tourism. We, indeed are looking forward to having our piece from that big sweet cake that India is! And I do convince you to have a try and visit Poland. It's closer than you think…