Tourists complain of safety, prices and sanitation in Poland but continue to visit

Poland is becoming a more expensive and dangerous country, but despite that the number of foreigners visiting Poland increased 5.8% this year said the Tourism Institute (IT) citing a poll conducted in the first half of this year. Poles were also more eager to leave raising the number of Poles travelling abroad 12.5% compared to last year. Poland has earned $6.1 billion from tourists and the number of visitors from eastern neighbors increased 28.6% in the first six months of 2000. The main tourists complaints were high prices (28%), safety (17.4%) and sanitary conditions (14.2%). "People visiting Poland a few times a year come here mostly for business matters, for shopping and to visit family," said Institute analyst Witold Bartosiewicz. (Rzeczpospolita, page B1) M.M.