Travel agencies and local governments have collected data showing that Czech tourists are particularly flocking to Poland’s Baltic Sea beaches.SchengenVisaInfo.com reported that the Czech portal for appointments Slevomat has seen a 50% increase in sales in Poland compared with 2022.
Other travel agencies have also shown a high level of interest in booking holidays in Poland. Dovolena.cz, one of the travel agencies, has seen a 158% increase in bookings for holidays to Poland since January 2023.
Invia, a travel agency that represents more than 150 Czech as well as foreign travel agencies, has also noticed a doubled attention of Czech Republic tourists regarding their holidays on Polish soil.
Jirina Jiruskova from Invia told Forbes that Poland attracts many visitors due to its historical monuments, beautiful cities, and natural beauty, including the sea, mountains, and lakes.
She says that Poland is popular not only because of its attractiveness, but also due to the affordability. In 2023, one week in Poland in nomad style will cost EUR191,24. Budget travel is EUR224,25. Mid-range travel is EUR341,28. Luxury travel costs EUR736,24. Accommodation, whether it is in a hotel or an apartment, costs between EUR35 and EUR40 per night.
“Most services, whether it is accommodation, restaurants or entertainment attractions, are cheaper in Poland than [in Czechia],” Jiruskova said.
Due to price increases and inflation, many Czech tourists are now choosing to travel to Poland rather than Croatia.
Sopot, a Polish seaside resort town, has become a favorite among Czechs.
“Already last year, Czechs were among the top three nationalities of tourists visiting tourist information points in Sopot during the holidays,” Bartlomiej Barski, stated.
Barski says that the increase in the number of Czech tourists can be attributed to improved transportation, such as the motorway connecting the two countries. Through this, Czech citizens are able to reach the Polish coastline within a couple hours.
Ryanair also operates flights from Prague, near Sopot, to Gdansk.
Barski, and other members of the Polish tourism industry, are pleased with the increase in travellers from the Czech Republic. They call it an important market for the Polish sector.
“We cannot just limit ourselves to the Germans or Scandinavians. Any new market that is interested in our region is welcome,” Barski said.
Statista is a German platform that collects data. According to Statista’s findings, in 2022, the largest number of visitors to Poland will be from Germany (5 219 400), followed by Ukraine (3 462,000) and Belarus (73 4900). The United States was the country with the most visitors outside of Europe (452,800).
The data from the arrivals at the airport confirms the increased interest of travellers in Poland. It was reported that over 6.5. millions passengers have been recorded since January 2023. Chopin Airport is the busiest airport in Warsaw. This year, 63 percent of passengers traveled within the Schengen Zone, and 37 percent chose non-EU destinations within the Schengen Area.
