Euro 2012 – 'Poland's biggest tourism promotion to date'
PR dla Zagranicy
Peter Gentle
07.11.2011 10:05
The promotion of the Euro 2012 football championships, which Poland is co-hosting with the Ukraine, is the “biggest tourism campaign that Poland has realised abroad,” says a representative of the country's tourism organisation.
As much as 60 million zloty (13.7 million euro) are being spent on the promotional campaign.
The campaign was launched on 8 June with funding covered by the EU.
Adam Zaborowski, a spokesman for the Polish Tourist Organisation on Euro 2012 affairs, believes that the money “will not be wasted.”
He told Polish Radio that once people come to Poland for the first time, and see the country's “merits” and experience the people's “hospitality and openness”, they will return many more times.
The United Kingdom, Germany and France are being focused on in the promotional campaign.
Zaborowski believes that the campaign has already garnered some notable results, given that portions of the international media had taken a sceptical stance regarding both the bad reputation of Polish fans, and delays in the completion of stadiums.
Zaborowski said that “the tone of the press has greatly improved,” since the commencement of the campaign, referring to quotes from the German media.
“The tournament is making Poland more beautiful,” one paper declared.
“What's happening in Poland is no miracle, rather it's being carried out according to a defined plan and it is in safe hands,” another German paper wrote.
Zaborowski believes that a million fans and tourists will come to Poland during the championships. (nh/pg)