Development of rural tourism and agritourism Experience of the past 20 years Elżbieta Wyrwicz Department of Tourism 3rd International Conference AGROTRAVEL Kielce, April 2011

Holidays in the countryside have a long tradition in Poland stays in spas and country manors countryside sightseeing excursions Workers Holiday Fund the Jabłońkis welcome the Matysiaks holidays under a pear tree

October 1991 Registration of the Suwałki Agriculture and Tourism Chamber, Poland’s first organization of agritourism service providers 15 April rd International Conference AGROTRAVEL in Kielce

The farm owners are independent service providers Women play a great role in the development of agritourism Agritourism - a modern incarnation of holidays in the countryside

Three phases in the development of agritourism between 1991 and „przekonać, nauczyć i ułatwić” 2 „razem łatwiej, lepiej, taniej” 3 „najważniejsza jakość” “Convince, teach and facilitate” “It is easier, better and cheaper to band together” “Quality is paramount”

Przekonać spotkania Nauczyć szkolenia Ułatwić eliminowanie barier Convince meetings Teach training courses Facilitate elimination of barriers

Razem łatwiej stowarzyszenia Razem lepiej badania marketingowe Razem taniej wspólna promocja It’s easier together It’s better together It’s cheaper together market research associations joint marketing

Standaryzacja Specjalizacja Regionalizm JAKOŚĆ QUALITY Standardization Specialization Regionalism

PHARE –TOURIN programme as a significant stimulus in the development of rural tourism between 1992 and 1999 Rural tourism, including agritourism as a premium tourism product Implementation of the „Training strategy for rural tourism” Institutional support – establishment of an organization which supports and coordinates entities involved in the organization of rural tourism, Development and pilot implementation of the Rural Accommodation Infrastructure Assessment System, Preparation of service providers for operation in the European Union

Diversification of economic activities in rural areas under the SAPARD programme Sectoral Operational Programme „Restructuring and modernization of the food sector and rural areas development ” Rural Areas Development Programme – 2011: another chapter in the support of rural tourism development

Source: Central Statistical Office Około gospodarstw rolnych Non-agricultural business activity about farms 1.3 % of farms involved in non-agricultural business activities have declared they provide agri-tourism services 5473 farms in 2009

REJESTROWANA BAZA NOCLEGOWA W POLSCE Source: GUS data

Source: Central Statistical Office

nowe miejsca pracy nowe, atrakcyjne zawody nowe formy współpracy nowa jakość życia nowy wizerunek wsi Positive impact of rural tourism on rural development in Poland Rural tourism New jobs Attractive professions New forms of cooperation New quality of life New image of the countryside

Development of recommendations on the instruments of support for rural tourism which should be included in the EU financial perspective. Near Future

SUCCESS OPTIMISM SELF-CONFIDENCE ENTHUSIASM ANOTHER SUCCESS

I would like to thank you for twenty years of cooperation and wish you every success in developing rural tourism in Poland!