Leaving on a jet plane
While Air Polonia, Sky Europe and Wizz Air all vie for budget travelers, there is some doubt as to whether these new low-cost carriers are actually having any impact in terms of pulling in tourists to this country, as opposed to simply ferrying domestic punters out to other places.
Certainly, a survey of the capital's hostels indicates that these budget carriers have in fact brought in few new tourist dollars.
Marta Nakonieczna, manager of Nathan's Villa Hostel, for one, says that she hasn't seen any improvement in Polish tourism and no noticeable increase in inbound travellers, although she does believe more Poles are holidaying abroad as a result of lowered airfares offered by the budget carriers.
And while Ernest Mikołajczuk, owner of the Oki Doki Hostel, believes the introduction of Air Polonia's flights to Madrid have boosted the number of visitors from Spain, many other tourists, if they choose to visit Poland, still prefer to travel here by train.
But Eryk Kłopotowski, spokesperson for Sky Europe, claims that while their clientele does include outbound Polish holidaymakers and Poles returning to the country, the firm does "actively promote destinations such as Warsaw for business and tourism purposes."
"Primary targets," he continues, "include the British and French, who are generally well traveled and are looking for something new."
And Natasa Kazmer of Wizzair concurs, saying "people in the Old Europe are searching for new, exciting places to go to," adding that there "is a natural interest towards the new entrants to the EU," asserting that Wizz Air takes every effort to promote the country.
Air Polonia, though, has a different angle, primarily targeting the domestic market, with Sylwia Stawska, an Air Polonia PR & marketing specialist, approximating that only 20 percent of their customers are foreign.
She further comments that budget airlines, such as Air Polonia, have provided greater travel opportunities for people who generally could not afford to fly. And this increased domestic air traffic generated by low-cost airlines has improved business in some sectors. For example, Katowice International Airport is now opening a new terminal due to increased passenger demand, and related services, such as airport restaurants, are also cleaning up as a result.
And while Air Polonia may cater more to the domestic market, Kłopotowski believes that cut-price airlines "help to generate tourism to and from specific markets."
"Low-cost airlines," he continues, "are the factor that will change [Polish] tourism significantly and will generate new passengers and new tourists."
However, one factor that may well deter tourists from visiting Poland is the escalating prices that fly in the face of the general perception of Poland being a cheap place to visit.
Zofia Czekalewska, financial manager of Youth Hostel (surprisingly, a youth hostel), suggests that people from other countries expect a cheap deal upon arrival, but the country is no longer so economically competitive.
And this is perhaps particularly true in the case of Warsaw, which, when compared to the much more picturesque cities of Poznań, Gdańsk and Kraków, is, to put it mildly, horrendously overpriced and somewhat shabby.
Certainly, a survey of the capital's hostels indicates that these budget carriers have in fact brought in few new tourist dollars.
Marta Nakonieczna, manager of Nathan's Villa Hostel, for one, says that she hasn't seen any improvement in Polish tourism and no noticeable increase in inbound travellers, although she does believe more Poles are holidaying abroad as a result of lowered airfares offered by the budget carriers.
And while Ernest Mikołajczuk, owner of the Oki Doki Hostel, believes the introduction of Air Polonia's flights to Madrid have boosted the number of visitors from Spain, many other tourists, if they choose to visit Poland, still prefer to travel here by train.
But Eryk Kłopotowski, spokesperson for Sky Europe, claims that while their clientele does include outbound Polish holidaymakers and Poles returning to the country, the firm does "actively promote destinations such as Warsaw for business and tourism purposes."
"Primary targets," he continues, "include the British and French, who are generally well traveled and are looking for something new."
And Natasa Kazmer of Wizzair concurs, saying "people in the Old Europe are searching for new, exciting places to go to," adding that there "is a natural interest towards the new entrants to the EU," asserting that Wizz Air takes every effort to promote the country.
Air Polonia, though, has a different angle, primarily targeting the domestic market, with Sylwia Stawska, an Air Polonia PR & marketing specialist, approximating that only 20 percent of their customers are foreign.
She further comments that budget airlines, such as Air Polonia, have provided greater travel opportunities for people who generally could not afford to fly. And this increased domestic air traffic generated by low-cost airlines has improved business in some sectors. For example, Katowice International Airport is now opening a new terminal due to increased passenger demand, and related services, such as airport restaurants, are also cleaning up as a result.
And while Air Polonia may cater more to the domestic market, Kłopotowski believes that cut-price airlines "help to generate tourism to and from specific markets."
"Low-cost airlines," he continues, "are the factor that will change [Polish] tourism significantly and will generate new passengers and new tourists."
However, one factor that may well deter tourists from visiting Poland is the escalating prices that fly in the face of the general perception of Poland being a cheap place to visit.
Zofia Czekalewska, financial manager of Youth Hostel (surprisingly, a youth hostel), suggests that people from other countries expect a cheap deal upon arrival, but the country is no longer so economically competitive.
And this is perhaps particularly true in the case of Warsaw, which, when compared to the much more picturesque cities of Poznań, Gdańsk and Kraków, is, to put it mildly, horrendously overpriced and somewhat shabby.
