Poland Profile Apr 2012
by Pawel Komorowski
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 visitbritain.org/research Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz VisitBritain Group LinkedIn Market and Trade Profile Poland
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 2 We produce a suite of Market and Trade Profiles. Visit visitbritain.org/research to access our reports for the following markets: Australia Austria Belgium Brazil Canada China Denmark France Germany Hong Kong India Italy Japan Netherlands Norway Poland Russia Spain Sweden Switzerland UAE USA
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 3 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn Contents 1. Market Snapshot 5 Table S1 Global context 6 Table S2 Inbound to Britain overview 6 Illustration S1 Competitive landscape: factors favouring Britain and favouring competitors 6 Chart S1 Journey purpose (% share of visits) 6 Chart S2 Seasonality (% share of visits) 6 Chart S3 Regional spread (% of visits) 6 Table S3 Access to Britain 6 2. Latest Insights 7 Visitor Statistics 8 Table 2.1 Latest visitor statistics 8 Economic Statistics 8 Table 2.2 Latest economic statistics 8 Connectivity 8 Competitor Activity 8 Media Coverage: Britain 8 Media Coverage: Competitors 9 Latest Consumer Trends 9 Latest Communications Trends 10 Travel Trade 10 3. General Market Conditions 11 Demographics 12 Table 3.1 Population dynamics 12 Chart 3.1 Population of major cities 12 Chart 3.2 Population structure 12 Links with the UK 12 Politics 12 Economics 12 Table 3.2 Economic indicators (% growth unless stated) 13 Chart 3.3 Exchange rate trends (cost of sterling in local currency) 13 Society 13 Consumer Trends 14 Travel Trends 15 4. Motivation and Attitudes to Holidays 16 The Importance of Holidays 17 Chart 4.1 Number of overnight trips away from home in 2010 (%) 17 Chart 4.2 Life priorities 17 Attitudes to Travel 17 Chart 4.3 Attitudes towards holidays 18 Chart 4.4 Major motivation for main holiday (%) 18 Attitudes to Destinations 18 Chart 4.5 Major influence on destination choice (%) 18 5. Reaching Consumers 19 Media Landscape 20 Table 5.1 Most popular television stations in 2011 20 Table 5.2 Most popular radio stations in 2011 20 Table 5.3 Major travel trade publications 21 Table 5.4 Major consumer travel publications 21 Use of Communications Technology 21 Chart 5.1 Communications technology per 000 of population 22 Sources of Holiday Inspiration 22 Chart 5.2 Influences on destination choice 22 Planning and Booking 23 Chart 5.3 Most important source of information 23 Chart 5.4 Booking methods (%) 23 Chart 5.5 Decision lead-time 23 Technology used by Visitors to Britain 23 Chart 5.6 Propensity to use laptop or mobile phone 24 6. Perceptions of Britain 25 Big Picture Perceptions 26 Chart 6.1 Perception of Britain as a nation 26 26 Cultural Associations 26 Chart 6.2 Cultural associations 27 Adjectives to Describe Britain 27 Chart 6.3 Adjectives describing a potential trip to Britain 27 Visiting Britain: Motivations and Barriers 27 Chart 6.4 Perceptions of culture and heritage brand attributes (% agreeing) 27 Chart 6.5 Perception of what the destination offers (% agreeing) 28 28 Chart 6.7 Sought after Britain activities (%) 29 Chart 6.8 Iconic images (% selecting each image) 29 C 30 Chart 6.10 Perceived cost of a week long holiday 30 7. Market Size, Share & Forecast 31 The Big Picture 32 Top Destinations 32 Table 7.1 Most visited destinations in 2010 32 32 Chart 7.1 Britain's market share among competitor set 32 Forecast Growth by World Region 32 Chart 7.2 Forecast growth in visits to world regions (000s) 33 Forecast Growth to Britain 33 Chart 7.3 Historic and forecast visits to Britain (000s) 33 8. Access to Britain 34
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 4 Practicalities 35 Mode of Travel 35 Chart 8.1 Visits by mode of transport (000s) 35 Chart 8.2 Sea and tunnel travel (000s) 35 Airline Seat Capacity Trends 35 Chart 8.3 Monthly airline seat capacity trends 35 Origins and Destinations 35 Map 8.1 Ports of entry to Britain 36 Chart 8.4 Origin airport annual seat capacity 36 Chart 8.5 Destination airport annual seat capacity 37 Chart 8.6 Airline seat capacity by carrier 37 9. Trip Characteristics 38 Volume and Value Trends 39 Table 9.1 Inbound volume and value 39 Table 9.2 Nights per visit, spend per night/visit 39 Chart 9.1 Volume and value trends 39 Journey Purpose 39 Chart 9.2 Journey purpose mix 40 Chart 9.3 Journey purpose trend (000s of visits) 40 Duration of Stay 40 Chart 9.4 Duration of stay trend (000s of visits) 40 Chart 9.5 Duration of stay by journey purpose 41 Seasonality 41 Chart 9.6 Seasonality trend (000s of visits) 41 Chart 9.7 Seasonality by journey purpose 41 Accommodation Choices 41 Chart 9.8 Accommodation stayed in (000s of nights) 41 Trips to Different Parts of Britain 41 Chart 9.9 Visits by area and journey purpose (000s) 42 Table 9.3 Top towns visited 42 Chart 9.10 Propensity to visit coast, countryside and villages 42 Chart 9.11 Propensity to use internal modes of transport 42 Chart 9.12 Propensity to explore several locations by car, coach or train 43 Multi-destination Trips 43 Chart 9.13 Propensity to combine Britain with other destinations 43 10. Visitor Characteristics 44 Visitor Demographics 45 Chart 10.1 Visitor demographics (000s of visits) 45 Chart 10.2 Age group trend (000s of visits) 45 Travelling Companions 45 Chart 10.3 Travelling companions 45 Table 10.1 Cohort size by journey purpose 45 Repeat Visitors 46 Chart 10.4 Propensity to be making a repeat visit 46 Nationality 46 Chart 10.5 Visitor nationalities 46 Where visitors live 46 Chart 10.6 Where visitors live 46 Welcome and Likelihood to Recommend 46 n Britain 47 Chart 10.8 Likelihood to recommend Britain 47 11. Activities Undertaken in Britain 48 Culture and Heritage 49 Chart 11.1 Propensity to visit museums and galleries 49 Chart 11.2 Propensity to visit built heritage sites 49 Chart 11.3 Propensity to visit the performing arts 49 Sport and Outdoors 49 Chart 11.4 Propensity to play golf or watch football 50 Chart 11.5 Propensity to go for a walk or cycle 50 Parks and Gardens 50 Chart 11.6 Propensity to visit a park or garden 50 Eating, Drinking and Socialising 50 Chart 11.7 Propensity to go to restaurants, pubs, nightclubs and socialise with locals 50 Shopping 50 Chart 11.8 Propensity to shop 51 Studying 51 12. Caring for the Consumer 52 Language 53 Table 12.1 Language basics 53 Table 12.2 Language tips for arrival and departure 53 Understanding Culture and Etiquette 53 Accommodation 53 Food and Drink 54 Paying Bills 54 Chart 12.1 Propensity to use a credit card 54 13. The Leisure & Travel Trade 55 Trade Structure 56 Tour Operators 56 Planning Cycle 57 Trade Exhibitions 57 Doing Business 57 Table 13.1 Public holidays in 2012 58 Meetings 58 14. Contacts and Data Sources 60 VisitBritain Contacts 61 Contacting other Organisations 61 Data Sources 61 Table 14.1 Data Sources 61
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 5 1. Market Snapshot
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 6 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn 1. Market Snapshot Table S1 Global context Measure 2010 International tourism expenditure (US$bn) 8.1 Global rank for international tourism expenditure 28 Number of outbound visits (m) 11.1 Most visited destination Ukraine Table S2 Inbound to Britain overview Measure 2010 Share of total 5 year change Visits (000s) 1,101 3.7% +6% Nights (000s) 10,731 4.7% -49% Spend (£m) 313 1.9% -30% Illustration S1 Competitive landscape: factors favouring Britain and favouring competitors Chart S1 Journey purpose (% share of visits) Chart S2 Seasonality (% share of visits) Chart S3 Regional spread (% of visits) Table S3 Access to Britain Measure 2011 Weekly aircraft departures 277 Weekly seat capacity 48,760 Airports with direct routes in Poland 10 Airports with direct routes in Britain 15 Later Chapters provide in-depth analysis on all the topics 0% covered in this Market Snapshot 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% Holiday Business VFR Misc Poland All Markets 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% Jan-Mar Apr-Jun Jul-Sep Oct-Dec Poland All Markets 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Nil Nights Scotland Wales London Rest of England Poland All Markets
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 7 2. Latest Insights Key Insights June could be the most popular holiday month for Polish tourists in 2012, according to daily Dziennik Gazeta Prawna. Many Poles plan to take their holiday when Poland and Ukraine will be hosting Euro 2012 as they are afraid of traffic jams and price increases for accommodation. Online agencies also confirm that June is looking very popular. Several travel agencies have prepared special offers for June to attract those who are not big football fans Ryanair has announced that it will increase its online fees for checked-in baggage during peak travel times. The airline will increase the fee from journeys between June and September and throughout Christmas 2012. Fees for the low season will remain unchanged at The average Polish family spent more than its German equivalent on Christmas 2011. Figures in weekly Polityka show that the Polish spent about around Christmas presents online Arab revolutions, Greek crisis, higher warranty liability and currency fluctuations all meant that turnover of Polish travel companies plateaued in 2011
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 8 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn 2. Latest Insights Visitor Statistics Table 2.1 Latest visitor statistics Purpose 3 months to Sep 2011 (000s) 12 months to Sep 2011 (000s) 3 months to Sep 2011 (annual % change) 12 months to Sep 2011 (annual % change) Holiday 48 149 -30% -17% Business 118 430 17% 3% VFR 141 445 0% -7% Total 330 1,067 4% -5% Economic Statistics Table 2.2 Latest economic statistics Indicator Q2 2011 Q3 2011 Q4 2011 Real GDP in local currency 4.6 4.2 3.9 Real personal disposable income 1.2 1.7 1.3 Real private consumption 3.7 3.0 3.1 Unemployment rate (%) 12.4 12.4 12.2 Average earnings 5.0 5.3 5.0 Consumer price index 4.5 4.0 4.3 An article in The Guardian described Poland as never having been richer, safer or better organised than today. According to World Bank figures, once-communist Poland is now the sixthlargest economy in the EU and 80% of Poles were very or quite happy with their lives in 2011, compared with 58% in 1992. The newfound Polish optimism was also evident in the reaction to the global financial crisis that began in 2008, the reaction in Poland being to shop more, keeping domestic consumption strong and helping to ensure that Poland was the only EU member with positive GDP growth in 2009 The minimum wage in Poland increased by 8.2% in 2011, according to a new report by Eurostat. However, Poland still belongs to the group of 11 EU countries which have the lowest Connectivity The new Warsaw Modlin airport for LCCs will set the stage for the first major head-to-head confrontation between Ryanair and Wizz Air in the battle for travellers to and from Warsaw when it opens in July. After Wizz Air announced it would base four aircraft at Modlin to serve 19 destinations starting in mid-July, Ryanair announced that it will serve the new airport from eight of its bases across Europe, including London Stansted. With the exception of Wizz Air, LCCs had previously abandoned Warsaw due to higher operational costs imposed at Chopin Airport The number of flights serviced by Polish airports is expected to increase by 15% in 2012, according to forecasts from the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency. Euro 2012 will contribute significantly to the expected increase. Until mid-December 2011, the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency had recorded over 600,000 flights to Poland for the year, some 9.2% more than in the corresponding period of 2010 Ryanair will open a new route from Bydgoszcz in northern Poland to Glasgow Prestwick in March, its third route from Bydgoszcz to Great Britain Competitor Activity The number of Polish visitors to Paris and France is growing. According to the Polish Institute of Tourism, 200,000 Polish tourists visited France in 2009, and in 2010 the number of visits increased to 450,000. In 2012, the French tourist board is not going to promote classic attractions like the Louvre Museum and Eiffel tower, which are well known to Polish travellers, but instead plans to promote cultural events, new restaurants, clubbing and shopping Polish visitors to Spain increased by 28% in 2011 to 470,169, says the Spanish Embassy in Poland. Part of the boost came from the Europe Senior Travel programme, with 20,000 Polish seniors attracted to Spain by this, particularly in October, March, April and May Tourism Ireland is to organise public events in Poland connected with the 100th anniversary of the sinking of Titanic. The events will be held during Euro 2012 in Gdansk and Poznan when Irish football fans arrive in these cities. Additionally, Tourism Ireland will organize a B2B workshop in Dublin and will have a stand at Tour Salon in Poznan VisitNorway, in partnership with MICE Poland and the Association of Incentive Organisers (SOIT), organised a Norwegian Christmas event for incentive organisers. During the event different competitions were held, with the main being a trip to Norway for two *RELEVANT?* The Austrian, Italian, Swiss, Czech and Slovak tourist boards all ran promotional activities throughout 2011. In October, the boards started winter campaigns including outdoor, press and digital elements. Additionally, all main travel trade magazines and portals published features on their ski resorts. The winter attractions help these boards to remain visible for the whole year, not only in spring and summer time Media Coverage: Britain Weekly Polityka published a three-page article on the London Olympics, featuring a portrait of the city. It includes
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 9 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn city centre, as perceived by Londoners. The author also mentioned vintage East London and its clubs, the Barbican, buildings designed by Norman Foster and the failures of the Millennium Dome. One of the paragraphs was devoted to Boris Johnson, viewing him as a good PR person, tidying streets after tscandals. The feature also included information on the Diamond Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth and the Duchess of Cambridge News portal gazeta.pl republished information on negative reports about Poles working in the UK provided by the think tank Migration Watch UK. The report highlighted the unemployment in the UK and the huge surge in immigration from Eastern Europe (including Poland) over the last eight years There were several Polish news items negative in their tone on the London Olympics tickets policy for children, with the organisers stipulating that every child including newborns carried in a parent's arms must have their own tickets, in part to keep track of the number of visitors so venue capacity is not exceeded There was a three-page feature in Polityka on the Cultural Olympiad and London Festival 2012, comparing it to the executive director was quoted saying that the Olympics will act as a deterrent to regular tourists There was much discussion in traditional Polish media and social media about the film promoting Warsaw for Euro 2012. Facebook users and media dislike the Polish movie, and the official London 2012 Olympics 'Sport at Heart' video by Daryl Goodrich was mentioned as a very good example of a promotional clip. However, the mayor of Warsaw defended the Polish video, saying in a TV interview that the London clip is too long and boring. In any case, this resulted in free promotion of Regional daily Super Nowosci published an article on William, Kate and Harry becoming official ambassadors for the London Olympics There were a few light-hearted reports on the new British government alcohol guidelines about abstaining from alcohol at least twice a week Daily Rzeczpospolita published a short article on David Hockney and his digital art exhibition in Paris Polityka published a two-page feature on Alexander Salmond and an independent Scotland On 1st January, most Polish broadcasters and press titles mentioned the Royal Wedding as one of the main events in 2011. One lifestyle magazine, Gala, rated this event as the most exciting of the year British musicians have received a number of mentions in the Polish press. Coldplay will be the first foreign band to perform a concert at the newly built national stadium in Warsaw on 19th September, which will be their second in Poland following an appearance at Opener Festival, P festival, last summer. There were some positive reviews of Amy reports on Pink Floyd who are set to reunite and perform at the London Olympics News portal gazeta.pl published an article on Thomas Cook closing 200 branches after profits plunged, mentioning that the crisis has caused more and more travel companies to announce bankruptcy. Major Polish player Neckerman Poland also belongs to Thomas Cook so this type of coverage always gives cause for concern to the Polish travel trade and travellers Several Polish newspapers and online portals published articles who are going to decide how to straighten out this problem affect or change the perception of Britain and Britons in Poland Media Coverage: Competitors After two successful years, Dustin Hoffman is to continue to which started in Poland in late 2011. In a special travel trade guide, the Oscar-winning actor promotes beaches, culture, the vast range of manufacturing and handicraft products, spa & wellness and sport in Marche. The campaign has produced spectacular results since 2010, with foreign visitor figures up by 21.5% that year alone and the upward trend continued during 2011. According to the Polish Institute of Tourism, Italy is ranked fifth for the number of tourist visits from Poland. Italy is Travel trade magazine TTG published a feature on the most In terms of visits, Germany is the most popular destination for Polish tourists, and a big competitor for Britain. The development of the motorways between Poland and Germany may increase the number of visits in coming years. According to visitor statistics for Berlin, the number of Polish visitors increased by 22% from January to October 2011. The capital of Germany, located close to the Polish border is getting popular for shopping and Christmas markets, particularly for those living in western Poland Travel trade monthly Rynek Turystyczny published a two-page article on Dublin and its alternative attractions. During a visit to the city, the journalist used the 'Le cool' guide Latest Consumer Trends According to the American Census Bureau, the number of Polish living and working in New York has decreased by 13% in the last decade. Now Polish expats prefer to live and work in England, Ireland or Germany as these countries are located
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 10 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn closer to Poland resulting in better VFR access, both to and from their home country. VFR is the predominant purpose for Polish visits to the UK, accounting for 41% (342,000) of visits in the first three quarters of 2011 Despite worsening economic forecasts at home and abroad, the Polish do not intend to give up their holidays, which are no longer considered as luxury products, according to Wiadomosci Turystycze, a travel trade biweekly. Additionally, it is predicted that Euro 2012 will act as a local antidote to the crisis and will positively influence attitudes towards travel Poles are becoming fans of e-commerce. According to a survey by Millward Brown SMG/KRC, only 17% of Poles who use internet every day did not purchase any item online within the last 12 months. The most popular products are books, films and music. More than half of Polish users declared in the survey that they made use of online book, music and multimedia shops. 61% of the internet shoppers are female overall and June the most popular for short breaks. Germany, Great Britain, Italy, France the Czech Republic and Spain were the most visited countries, while Lithuania, France and Greece experienced the biggest growth in visits and Belgium, the Netherlands and Ireland the biggest decline A survey by Eholiday.pl showed that 84% of Poles organise winter holidays themselves, searching for offers and recommendations on the net or using recommendations from family and friends. Traditional marketing tools are less important in this decision making process in Poland, meaning that digital campaigns and social media activity can play a bigger role, says the survey Short breaks remain popular with Poles, with visitor figures projected as far as 2015 increasing every year. Although most Poles prefer to organise their trips themselves, Polish travel agents confirm that it remains more popular to take a domestic short break than go abroad. Vienna, Paris, Rome, Madrid, Budapest and London are among the most booked foreign short-break destinations on portal wakacje.pl and easygo.pl Latest Communications Trends According to a survey by media house PHD, over half of mobile phone owners use the internet on their phones, but only 22% of respondents had a smartphone A typical Pole spends 3 hours and 20 minutes watching television per day. General stations like TVP, Polsat or TVN are gradually losing viewers to thematic channels, particularly during the holiday season. Talent shows (broadcast by all major stations) maintain the best audience ratings, and spending on TV ads before, during and after these shows continues to be the highest Acco market produced by the Central Statistical Office, broadband internet access services continued to expand rapidly in 2010. At the end of 2010 7.5 million internet users were noted to have broadband, 15.6% more than at the end of 2009 The same report noted a small annual decline of 4.7% in the number of landline subscribers during 2010, down to 7 million, while the number of mobile users had increased by 5.5% to 47.5 million An estimated 85% of the Polish use the internet and watch TV at the same time, according to a survey provided by IAB Polska. 80% of internet users watch TV or use internet every day or almost every day, three quarters of them aged under 45. TV is perceived as a passive medium which provides entertainment and internet is used to search for practical information. 78% of Polish users listen to radio and 58% read news portals when they use internet. According to a survey from NetTrack, there are 16.6 million internet users in Poland Travel Trade Rome-based wholesaler RHI Group organised a five-day Fam trip in November for 30 representatives of 19 Polish travel agencies. According to the Institute of Tourism Italy, 550,000 Polish tourists visited Italy in 2010 and these figures are hoped to increase in 2012. The biggest difficulties for Polish tour operators to sell this destination are rising prices and a lower standard of 3 and 4-star hotels compared to the Polish standards of these hotels, the same problem that they report when selling Great Britain to the most popular sights of London but shows a lighter side to the city, focusing on shopping, musicals and pubs According to the latest ranking of 100 online travel booking websites organised by money.pl and Gazeta Wyborcza, the topthree were: Travelplanet.pl, Wakacje.pl, and Esky.pl leading Polish tour operator, with 445,287 customers and gross profit of PLN 35m. The top-five best-selling holiday destinations offered by Itaka are: Turkey, Greece, the Canary Islands, Spain and Egypt After the first presentation of 2012 catalogues at travel show TT Warsaw in September, the top tour operators Itaka, TUI, Triada, Neckermann, Alfa Star and Rainbow Tours have started to promote their summer catalogues in trade and consumer campaigns via TV, radio, the press, internet and outdoors. The early promotion of catalogues is a result of strong competition and a new Polish consumer trend to book holidays earlier than in 2010
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 11 3. General Market Conditions Key Insights Poland is home to nearly 40 million, 6 in 10 of whom live in urban settlements There are around half a million Polish born citizens resident in Britain Poland is one of the most ethnically homogenous countries in the world with 96.7% having Polish ancestry Young Poles are generally optimistic and open-minded, believing their destiny to be in their own hands The economy continues to grow but at a slowing pace due to weak external demand and tightening credit Sterling is about 10% cheaper for visitors from Poland than it was a decade ago
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 12 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn 3. General Market Conditions Demographics Poland is home to nearly 40 million people (Table 3.1) though this number is declining slightly as a result of outward migration, while the number of births is similar to the number of deaths resulting in Table 3.1 Population dynamics Measure 2011 estimate Total population 38,441,588 Net No. migrants per 1,000 population -0.47 Rate of natural increase per annum 0.0% Overall growth rate per annum -0.1% Major Conurbations Only the capital city, Warsaw, is home to more than one million citizens (Chart 3.1) although several cities have in excess of half a million inhabitants. These figures relate to the city rather than wider administrative region population. World Bank estimates suggest that 61.2% of the population live in urban settlements. Chart 3.1 Population of major cities Population Structure The population pyramid shown in Chart 3.2 is indicative of a population that is static in nature with similar numbers of males and females among younger cohorts, but significantly more females in the older age bands. The demographic mix of visitors to Britain from Poland is shown in Chart 10.1. Chart 3.2 Population structure Links with the UK According to the Office for National Statistics Annual Population Survey and Labour Force Survey in 2010 there were 521,000 Polish born citizens resident in Britain. In 2010 1,032 residents of Poland were accepted onto degree or HND courses being offered by UK universities (see Chapter 11), with around six-in-ten of these students being female. Politics Poland is a Republic. Poland joined the European Union in 2004. The next presidential and legislative elections are due in 2015. The Civic Platform party won the 2011 election and heads a coalition government between the centre-right and centrist Peasants Party. The current government is strongly pro the European Union and aspires for Poland to adopt the Euro in due course, potentially in 2015. Economics Oxford Economics have recently pointed to the risks of a credit crunch in Central and Eastern Europe, with the Hungarian economy already in a state of extreme turmoil. For the moment at least for Poland the forecast is one of slowing growth rather than anything more dramatic, with weak external demand and tightening credit the major headwinds faced by the economy. Around two-thirds of economic activity is now accounted for by the service sector, with industry having a 30% share and agriculture now -200,000 400,000 600,000 800,000 1,000,000 1,200,000 1,400,000 1,600,000 1,800,000 Warsaw Cracow 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 00 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 0-4 5-9 10-14 15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74 75-79 80-84 85-89 90-94 95-99 100+ Thousands Male Female
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 13 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn accounting for only around 4%. It is apparent from Table 3.2 that although set to slow in 2012 the economy should still expand by about 2%, ensuring that consumer expenditure will help bolster demand for goods and services. Despite this unemployment looks set to remain firmly in double-digit territory for the time being, although average earnings increasing by considerably more than consumer prices will help drive up GDP per head to more than $20,000 in purchasing power parity terms. Table 3.2 Economic indicators (% growth unless stated) Indicator 2011 2012 2013 Real GDP 4.3 2.0 2.9 Consumers expenditure 3,3 2.2 3.2 GDP per capita (Int $) 19,867 20,889 21,950 Unemployment rate (%) 12,4 12.5 12.0 Average earnings 5.0 5.1 6.2 Consumer prices 4.2 3.2 2.8 can be compared across countries having taken into account relative exchange rates and price levels. For the latest economic indicators (updated quarterly) see Table 2.2. Exchange Rate Chart 3.3 Exchange rate trends (cost of sterling in local currency) The Polish currency is the Zloty. It can be seen from Chart 3.3 that there has been a fair degree of volatility in the rate of the Zloty against sterling over recent years, with visitors from Poland seeing the cost of buying sterling rise during 2003 before heading in the opposite direction through to early 2008. There then followed a sharp appreciation in the value of the pound against the Zloty meaning that by summer 2009 things were back to where they had been at the beginning of the decade. The most recent couple of years has seen first a fall in the cost of sterling followed by yet another increase meaning that in early 2012 £1 again costs about PLN5.5. Trade Links HM Revenue and Customs Overseas Trade statistics show that in 2010 th most valuable trading partner in terms of exports and 16th most valuable in terms of imports. According to UK Trade and Investment the value of bilateral trade between Britain and Poland increased three-fold. Society world, with 96.7% of a population of just under 39 million claiming Polish ancestry. Of the remaining 3.3% , 0.4% is German, 0.1% Ukrainian, 0.1% Belarusian and the final 2.7% is composed of mixture of Russians, Jews, Lithuanians, Tatars, Roma (Gypsies), Lemks, Boyks and a dozen other groups. The ethnic make-up is largely a result of large migratory movements in Poland during the aftermath of WWII. However, Poland was for Jews only number between 5,000 and 10,000. The Polish national character might be famous for its glum outlook on life; the stereotype goes that if you ask a Pole the simple "How are you?", he'll launch right into a long list of his numerous problems and misfortunes. While this remains true for some, especially older citizens who haven't all benefitted from the changes since communism collapsed, most Poles have grown decidedly more optimistic over the years. Young Poles are generally optimistic and open-minded, believing their destiny to be in their own hands, that Poland shouldn't be prisoner to its past and that the future waxes bright for their country. Poles are still more conservative and traditional than Western Europeans, with 95% of the population Roman Catholics (minority faiths, including the Orthodox Church, Protestantism, Judaism, and Old Believers, make up the remaining 5%). On weekends many churches countrywide are still filled to overflowing. However, the Church has begun to lose some of its popular support. More and more Poles identified as Roman Catholics have stopped attending services and disagree with the Catholic doctrine. About 62% of the population lives in urban areas, while the remaining 38% is rural. There is also a widening culture gap between 4.00 4.50 5.00 5.50 6.00 6.50 7.00 7.50 8.00Jan-01 Jan-02 Jan-03 Jan-04 Jan-05 Jan-06 Jan-07 Jan-08 Jan-09 Jan-10 Jan-11
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 14 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn the urban and rural communities. Despite their urban existence, city dwellers still like to retain some connection with the countryside, and many escape to the hills or lakes at the weekends to enjoy a touch or rural lifestyle. The Polish gay and lesbian scene is fairly discreet but there was never any anti-homosexual law under a free Polish government. Many leftwing political parties support the gay rights movement and are in favour of appropriate changes in legislation. In October 2011, Poland elected its first openly gay member of parliament as well as its first transsexual MP who is currently the only transgender MP in the world. After the Polish economy experienced nearly two decades of annual growth and unemployment fell dramatically from 19.9% in 2002, to 7.1% in 2007 the Polish mortgage market exploded. Buyers were typically relatively young (31 years old), had no children (80% of buyers), and bought apartments ranging from 46 to 60 sq. m. The private rental market is thin in Poland. The social-rental market has been shrinking over the past 20 years. After the privatization of housing in the early 1990s, owner occupancy rose from 48.3% in 1990, to 74.5% in 2002 (55.2% individually-owned and 19.3% co-operatively owned). Education in Poland is compulsory until the age of 18. Attending of both primary and lower secondary schools is obligatory. Today, the Polish higher education system is developing most dynamically. Poland holds fourth place in Europe (after the United Kingdom, Germany and France) in terms of the number of people enrolled in higher education. The total student population at over 450 higher education institutions is almost 2 million. Each year almost half a million young people begin their education at universities and colleges. Polish students have achieved many successes in different fields during the last couple of years, mainly in computing and mathematics. The increasing trend in studying computer science is also visible in the number of students, which over the last 4 years has doubled and today amounts to around 60,000. Currently, women in Poland retire at 60, while men do so at 65. The government wants this to be levelled at 67 for both sexes. The transition would be achieved by gradual increases every four months as of 2013, with men fully adjusted to the new system by 2020. Language Polish is the official language of Poland. It is also used as a second language in some parts of Russia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. There are only a few dialects that differ from the standard Polish language, however the differences among them are not significant and mostly based on regional pronunciation and vocabulary changes. Among young people and in the business community English is the most popular foreign language. Students in Polish schools typically learn one or two foreign languages at schools. The most popular obligatory foreign languages in Polish schools are English (67.9%), German (3.3%), French (13.3%, Spanish (10.2%), Russian (6.1%) and Italian (4.3%). There is a growing number of primary and secondary schools with English, German or French as a tuition language. Today there are 30 such schools in different Polish cities. The majority of younger and middle-aged Polish speak English to a sufficient level. Older Poles (especially in rural areas) speak only basic or no English but they can speak some Russian or German. Holidays and Annual Leave Employee work hours do not exceed 8 hours a day and on average most people work 40 hours a week. The length of annual leave of a full time employee within a calendar year is as follows: 20 days for an employee with less than 10 years of service 26 days for an employee with at least 10 years of service In Poland, the school year begins on 1st September and ends on the first Friday after 18th June. There is a Christmas break in December which lasts until New Year's Day. There is also a winter holiday break lasting two weeks in January or February but the exact date is different for each province and the dates usually change each year. The winter break also splits the two semesters of the school year. Most universities start on 1st October (at some institutions late September) and end in January. The first semester of the academic year is commonly referred to as the "winter term". In February or March, the second term the "summer term" starts and it finishes in June. The status of holidays in Poland is getting more important. However, the holiday is still the commodity that Poles are prepared to give up. Holiday taking, it seems, has quite a lot to do with the prevailing economic or social situation. Consumer Trends Private consumption was one of the main drivers of Polish economic growth in 2011. However, economists expect a weakening of individual consumption in 2012. Bank Nordea analysts, in their report published December 13th consumption from 3.1% eyed in 2011 to 2.2% in 2012. The decline is to be reversed only in 2013 when consumption may grow 3.0%, Nordea expects. Polish private consumption remains relatively strong in comparison
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 15 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn to other EU member states in the region of Central-Eastern Europe. Consumer sentiment indicator for Poland, as calculated by the -General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG EcFin), amounted to minus 23.4 pts in November 2011 and was up from minus 23.1 pts in the previous month. Even though the result was slightly weaker than the average for the entire EU (-20.7 pts) and for the eurozone countries (-20.4 pts), it was still higher than the one for the Czech Republic (-30.0 pts), Hungary (-47.2 pts), Slovakia (-36.4 pts), Slovenia (-24.4 pts) and Romania (-43.4 pts). A vibrant economy and growing Internet access are fuelling a boom in e-commerce in Poland. The Centre for Retail Research, a U.K.-based retail research and consulting firm, predicts Poland will register the fastest growth in European e-commerce in 2012, with a 24% hike in e-retail compared to a European average of 16.1%. Seven out of ten Poles shop online several times a year at least, according to a report by Ceneo.pl. Around half of responders use auction sites, 13% use offers placed in social networking websites, while 8% visit group purchases services. The largest group of online shoppers are those aged between 25 and 34 years old, while the smallest group are people over 55. The most popular products/services bought online are computer games (36%), clothing, footwear and jewellery (31%), telephones and accessories (30%), computers (26%), books (18%), as well as airline tickets, travels, hotel reservations and tickets for events. The number of Poles buying food online is also increasing. Among the advantages of shopping online are factors such as the lack of need to leave home and lower prices. The report also found that 40% of Poles do not use the internet to shop at all. (PMR -IT and telecommunications sector in Poland, August 2011) Groupon and other online group shopping services offering discount vouchers have become very popular. Accordin Prawna, Groupon has captured 76.08% of the daily deal market in Poland with 286,6 million of PLN ($91 million) in sales in 2011. The market of organic food in Poland is in the process of g organic food is rather low. However more and more consumers are looking for the food of high quality. These show that there is growing potential in the development of organic food, only education and organic food promotion campaigns are needed. Travel Trends According to provisional results from 2011, the number of tourist trips (at least one night) abroad substantially decreased: to 6.3 million (including 0.8m trips of children up to 14 years). In 2010 the number of all trips (one-day and tourist) abroad reached 43 million (9% more than in 2009). The number of tourist trips also went up to 7.1 million (including 0.5m trips by children). Among the most visited countries are: Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, France, Czech Republic and Spain. Typical tourist purposes usually account for a half of Polish foreign departures. In 2010 it was 52%. Stays with families and friends keep the level around 25%, while the share of business trips: 20%. In 2009 and 2010 slightly more than 20% of Poles travelling abroad have used travel office for purchasing packaged services. In previous years it was less than 20%. The differences from year to year are not big however the upward trend can be seen. Luxury segment Valued at PLN3,439 million (US$1,175 million) in 2010, the Polish luxury goods market currently ranks 20th out of the 26 countries covered by Euromonitor International's luxury goods research, but it is one of the fastest growing. Between 2005 and 2010, the luxury goods market grew by 50% in real terms, making it the fourth fastest growing behind China, which achieved real growth of 59% over the same period. Poles are becoming increasingly westernised in their luxury purchasing habits, while at the same time remaining relatively conservative in terms of their social attitudes. Despite the economic slowdown, the Polish super premium beauty and personal care market performed well over 2005-2010, growing by 51% to reach a value of PLN307 million, with sales rising across all categories. Appearance issues continue to gain strength in Poland as a growing number of Poles pay more attention to how they look and feel. Ahead of London and New York, Germany remains the most popular outbound destination for luxury shopping, with many savvy Poles heading over to Berlin to hunt down their favourite designer labels. According to data from Euromonitor International's travel and tourism research, leisure departures to Germany accounted for a 72% share of overall departures in 2009, increasing by nearly two percentage points on the previous year. Berlin owes its high ranking to its proximity to Poland, with travelling time being shorter and transport costs lower.
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 16 4. Motivation and Attitudes to Holidays Key Insights One-third of Poles took no trips away from home during 2010 with half of these saying this was because of Spending time with family and friends is a top life priority for Poles Natural scenic beauty is a key consideration for Poles when thinking about holiday destinations Rest/recreation was the major motivation for the main holiday of 44% of Poles in 2010
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 17 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn 4. Motivation and Attitudes to Holidays The Importance of Holidays As can be observed from Chart 4.1 one-in-three of those in Poland took no overnight trips away from home during 2010, a rather higher figure than found across most EU nations. A further one-in-six took just a single trip, indicating that half the populous take two or more trips per year. Of those that took no trips away from home 47% said that this was the case , higher than the 41% of all EU citizens who cited this as a reason for not going away. Chart 4.1 Number of overnight trips away from home in 2010 (%) VisitBritain sponsored questions that have been included on the Nations Brand Index Survey provide an insight into what residents of Poland consider to be important in their life. Asked to rate a number of statements on a scale of 1 = not at all important to 5 = extremely important it can be seen (Chart 4.2 that spending time with family and friends was a top priority, but to no greater extent than for all respondents. Keeping fit and healthy and self-development and learning were among the other key slightly less of a priority than taking holidays in their own country. It might well be that since the research took place things have changed, bpriority for those in Poland than for the typical survey panellist. Chart 4.2 Life priorities Attitudes to Travel Another VisitBritain question asked on the Nations Brand Index Survey looks at attitudes towards holidays, with respondents asked to state their agreement with a number of statements on a scale of 1 = strongly disagree to 7 = strongly agree. Chart 4.3 shows clearly that les when thinking about holiday destinations, but so too is the chance to see famous and well known locations. Films that have been watched are a little more likely to have influenced the destination choice of Poles than others, whereas by contrast whether or not there will be a warm welcome at the destination is slightly less important to Poles than to others. 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% None 1 2 3 4-5 6-10 10+ DK/NA Poland EU27 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 Taking foreign vacations linked to my religion Spending time on the internet (social networking e.g. Facebook, Myspace) Volunteering Having fashionable clothes and accessories Taking foreign vacations Watching TV or DVDs for pleasure Taking vacations in my own country Spending time on the internet (general browsing)Reading books Listening to music Making improvements to my home/garden Having good quality food and drink My career Having time to relax Self development and learning Keeping fit and healthy Spending time with my family and friends Poland All respondents
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 18 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn Perhaps a surprising result is that for Poles there is less emphasis the income per head figures discussed in Chapter 3 it is less of a surprise that there was only weak levels of agreement with the Chart 4.3 Attitudes towards holidays From a European Commission survey it can be seen (Chart 4.4) that those in Poland, a higher proportion than for the full EU27. To some extent contrasting with the findings in Chart 4.3 18% said that their Chart 4.4 Major motivation for main holiday (%) Attitudes to Destinations Further data taken from the European Commission survey is the following attractions, please choose the one that has the major pre-de -in-three whereas EU27 average and the latter a little below it. Chart 4.5 Major influence on destination choice (%) 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 I am an experienced international traveler It is too much effort to travel for more than 5 hours for a vacation My ideal vacation is at the beach I would take a vacation in another country to watch a sporting event I prefer to eat food I am used to on vacation Music I've listened to has influenced my choice of vacation destination I prefer to book vacations through a travel agent I prefer to take lots of short breaks, rather than fewer long breaks I frequently take part in physical activities and sports on vacation Films I've watched have influenced my choice of vacation destination I choose vacation destinations based on how welcoming the people there are The internet is a safe way to book travel I choose vacation destinations based on the weather It is more important that vacations are exciting than relaxing Enjoying my vacation is more important than how much it costs History and culture are strong influences on my choice of vacation destinations When I'm on vacation I like to explore new places away from the crowds When I'm on vacation I like to see famous and well-known locations I choose vacation destinations based on their natural scenic beauty Poland All respondents 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Culture /religion Sports-related Nature Wellness/health treatment City trips Visiting friends /relatives Sun/beach Rest/recreation Poland EU27 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Gastronomy Art Festivals and other events Don't Know Other Options for entertainment Cultural Heritage The location's environment Poland EU27
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 19 5. Reaching Consumers Key Insights Poland has the largest and most diverse broadcasting market in Eastern Europe There are around 1,200 mobile phones per 1,000 of population in Poland 6 in 10 have been influenced in their choice of destination by something read on the Internet or told to them by friends or relatives, while 30% have been influenced by music or bands they like from a country 71% of Poles organised travel and accommodation for their main holiday in 2010 by themselves, while very few booked a package tour, be this via the Internet or through a travel agent
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 20 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn 5. Reaching Consumers Media Landscape Broadcast Poland has the largest and most diverse broadcasting market in Eastern Europe. Telewizja Polska (TVP; Polish Television) is Polan public TV broadcaster, operating 2 national channels (TVP1 and TVP2), a range of regional services, and the satellite channel TV Polonia. Its main competitor is TVN, a commercial operator; other private TV networks include Polsat+. The satellite television market is also very competitive, with four operators and five pay-TV packages: Cyfrowy Polsat is still the most popular with 3.2 million subscribers, ahead of Cyfra+ (owned by Canal+), N and TNK (both 100% owned since December 2009 by TVN, itself a subsidiary of the ITI group) and Orange Polska (TP, the incumbent telecommunications operator controlled by France Télécom). On 1st November 2011, the ITI Holding group, which owns the TVN group, announced the imminent tie-up between the satellite packages N Telewizja Nowej Generacji and Cyfra+. With 50% of market share, TV is still the most popular advertising medium in Poland. In the fourth quarter of 2011, a typical Pole spent 3 hours and 57 minutes a day watching television. Table 5.1 Most popular television stations in 2011 Channel Market Share TVP1 17.9% Polstat 14.5% TVP2 14.1% TVN 13.0% TVP INFO 3.4% There is a limited number of TV travel programmes in Poland. The public channels have stopped their travel programmes due to high production costs. The private TV channels present only long haul, exotic destinations and not European countries. Radio and 17 regional ones. Outranking it in the popularity stakes is RMF FM, a private radio after communism ended, is another nationwide broadcaster with a solid commercial agenda. Poles. However, it is still popular medium with 81% of Poles born between 1915 and1975 listening to radio every day. Radio is universal listened to by all the social groups. Radio reaches people in many places and situations, including those using mobile phones /mp3 players, i-pods. Radio has a greater range on weekdays than on weekends. On weekdays, the radio is most listened to between 08h00 and 15h00 -mostly by people aged from 25 to 59 years. Younger people listen to the radio throughout the day. Almost every radio station has internet edition and on-line broadcast. Some of them use also video devices. Table 5.2 Most popular radio stations in 2011 Station Market Share Radio RMF FM (private) 26% Radio Zet 16% Jedynka Program 1 PR 12% Trojka Program 3 PR 8% Radio Maryja 2% Although hardly any of the stations has a dedicated travel programme, they still offer good media opportunity to reach consumers with features on themes such as music, exhibitions or events in Britain. Print Around 300 newspapers are published in Poland. largest-selling paper is German-ownd Fakt (Fact), a tabloid-style daily with a readership of around 500 000. In second place is Gazeta Wyborcza (Election Gazette), a liberal, opinionated newsprint, owned by Polish publishing house Agora. Other popular papers include the moderately conservative Rzeczpospolita (the Republic) and weeklies, Wprost, Gazeta Polska, and Polityka. Warsaw is the main media centre where the main Polish publishing houses are located. Due to strong economic pressure and a decline in advertising revenue in the past years there have been several mergers and takeovers which lead to a stronger concentration of fewer big publishing houses. The most popular travel trade and consumer travel titles remain the same like the past few years (Table 5.3 and Table 5.4.
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 21 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn Table 5.3 Major travel trade publications Publication Circulation Travel Trade Gazette Poland 20,000 6,000 6,000 Rynek Turystyczny 3,000 Table 5.4 Major consumer travel publications Publication Circulation National Geographic Traveller 57,000 Voyage 43,000 Poznaj Swiat 30,000 Podróze 27,000 On-line Media Virtually all Polish newspapers now have online versions. The same applies to magazines and gazeta.pl (the website of the daily Gazeta Wyborcza) belongs to the most popular news portals in Poland. Traffic to these portals is growing as especially younger readers are increasingly switching from off to online. An estimated 82.8% of Polish Internet users use search engines and 73.7% read news portal every day. The rapid growth of the internet has had a negative impact on readership, circulation and sales of press titles. Press publishers agree that the future of the press is in digital format. However, differences arise in terms of time of when this is likely to happen. Press articles will probably transfer from printed editions to digital format for portable devices and internet content. The idea of charging for portable devices and internet content by the publishers is realistic, because of the number of readers willing to pay for fast and good information is greater than ever. Use of Communications Technology Mobile In Poland, there are five million smartphones, the Dziennik Gazeta Prawna reported. Based on data by GfK Poland and IDC Poland, smartphones account for nearly 15% of the mobile phone market, but according to experts, in 2-3 years they will be owned by the majority of Polish users. According to the survey provided by the media house PHD, over the half of mobile owners use Internet in their mobiles: men in 53% and women in 39%. The mobile users who are 15 -24 use internet via mobiles more often 58% than users who are 25-34 (45%) , 35-44 45% and over 45 29%. The more wealthy the user the more often he uses Internet via a mobile. Internet There were 22,452,100 internet users in Poland (representing 58.4% of the population) in June 2011, according to Internet World Stats. (Internet World Stats, August 2011). Of Europe's 372 million unique visitors, Poland accounted for 18.2 million unique visitors during August 2011, according to comScore. Users in Poland spent an average of 24.1 hours online in the past month, consuming 2,794 pages online. (comScore, October 2011). Google Sites (which also includes YouTube) ranked as the top property with 17.2 million visitors, followed by MIH Limited with 14.2 million visitors (80% penetration). Polish social networking site Nasza Klasa ranked in 3rd position with 13.9 million Unique Visitors, followed by Polish web portal Onet.pl that attracted more than 12 million visitors during the month. More than 90% of Polish Internet users have been using the internet for a year or more, 74% of them use Internet every day or almost every day. The profile of the Polish Internet user has increasingly moved towards the average demographic profile over the past years. At the moment half of internet users are male and half are female. 30% are 15-24 and 24% are 25-34. 24% are 35-44, 16% are 45-54 and only 7% are 55 or over. Around 40% of internet users have secondary education, 25% with high education and elementary education is 18%. However, the Internet is used by 88% of people with higher education, 62% with secondary education, and 25% with elementary education. The majority, 93.5%, of Polish Internet users have access to the web at home, 22% at work, 8% at school/university. 99.5% of users could access internet via mobile operator Orange. Only 10% of internet users use mobile access to internet Seven out of ten Poles shop online several times a year at least, according to a report by Ceneo.pl. Around half of responders use auction sites, 13% use offers placed in social networking websites, while 8% visit group purchases services. The largest group of online shoppers are those aged between 25 and 34 years old, while the smallest group are people over 55. The most popular products/services bought online are computer games (36%), clothing, footwear and jewellery (31%), telephones and accessories (30%), computers (26%), books (18%), as well as airline tickets, travels, hotel reservations and tickets for events. The number of Poles buying food online is also increasing. Among the advantages of shopping online are factors such as the lack of need to leave home and lower prices. The report also found that 40% of Poles do not use the internet to shop at all. (PMR -IT and telecommunications sector in Poland, August 2011) Social Media According to PMR Reaserch, 54% of adult Poles (aged 18) use social
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 22 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn media. An estimated 82% of them are 18-24, 47% 35-64 and 30% are over 65. The popularity of Facebook has been growing gradually among Polish internet users. However, it is associated as a social network of rather young people, at least in Poland, while target group of Nasza-klasa users is more open and it tries to get to people of all ages. The idea of Nasza-klasa founders was to create a place where people could find their classmates with whom they lost contact and in general, to renew school friendships. They created a new phenomenon of school reunions, so far not really popular in Poland. Some 74% of users aged 18-25 use social media every day (28% -5-10 minutes per day, 27% half an hour, 28% -1 h) while 86% of survey respondents said they use social networking sites to keep in touch with friends, only 13% use them to meet new people. Twitter is not very popular in Poland, with 970 000 users in June 2011. Access to communications technology Looking at access to communications technology in 2011 (Chart 5.1) it is evident that mobile phone access is at saturation levels, with around 1,200 devices per 1,000 of population. Internet access is growing rapidly and now stands at around 600 per 1,000 of population whereas the number of landlines lags some way behind. Chart 5.1 Communications technology per 000 of population Sources of Holiday Inspiration A VisitBritain sponsored question asked on the 2007 Nations Brand Index Survey asked respondents about the ways in which they might be influenced or inspired to choose places for a holiday. Respondents could tick as many influences as they wished and it can be seen in Chart 5.2 that there were some notable differences Roughly six-in-ten said that something they had seen on the Internet, been told by a friend or relative or read in a book had influenced their choice of destination, with almost as many having been influenced by a television programme about travel. Photographs would appear to be more powerful in influencing destination choice for Poles than for many others whereas the reverse seems to be true for advertising. Although only having influenced a minority, those in Poland would appear to be a little more receptive to products, brands and celebrities being a channel through which their destination choice is influenced. It is notable that 30% of those in Poland say that they have been influenced by music or bands that they like from a particular country. Chart 5.2 Influences on destination choice -200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 Land lines Mobiles Internet users 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% None of these Reading a travelblog about that country A celebrity /famous person from that country A product /brand from that country Something you saw on TV news Sport /a sport event that is held in that country Music /bands that you like from that country Advertising you saw Something you read in a newspaper Eating food with origins in that country A special deal /price e.g. from an airline A movie you saw at the cinema or on TV Something you saw in a travel brochure e.g. from a travel agent A photograph you saw from someone who had visited that country A previous visit to that country Something you learned in school /education A TV programme you saw about travel Something you read in a book Something a friend or relative told you Something you saw on the Internet Poland All respondents
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 23 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn Planning and Booking The European Commission Survey looking at attitudes towards tourism asks which information source (from a pre-defined list of plans. It is clear from Chart 5.3 that for one-third of those in Poland the proportion mentioned the Internet as being the most important source, but this was rather lower than the 27% across the full EU27. Only a very small number, 5%, said that the most important source was a travel/tourist agency. Chart 5.3 Most important source of information Booking Methods The European Commission survey asked those respondents who had -defined list of five options to select from. It can be seen in Chart 5.4 that most commonly Poles had arranged their travel and accommodation individually, with 72% citing this option, far ahead of the 57% of all EU citizens. Poles were exceedingly unlikely to say that they had booked their main holiday as a package tour or all-inclusive holiday through a travel agency or via the Internet. Chart 5.4 Booking methods (%) Booking lead-time From a VisitBritain sponsored question asked on the International Passenger Survey (Chart 5.5) it is evident that almost one-third of Poles visiting Britain decide on the trip between one and three months ahead of travel. For one-in-six the decision was made less than a week before the trip, but this may well reflect the nature of It is the norm for leisure trips to be decided on further in advance than is the case for business trips. Chart 5.5 Decision lead-time Technology used by Visitors to Britain From a VisitBritain sponsored question included on the International Passenger Survey (Chart 5.6) it can be seen that holiday and VFR visits from Poland are equally as likely as those from the typical inbound market to use either a mobile phone or a laptop computer, but that when looking at business visits there is a much lower tendency to use a phone and especially a laptop. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Catalogues, brochures (noncommercial) Media (newspaper, radio, TV) Guidebooks and magazines (commercial) Travel /tourist agencies The Internet Personal experience Recommendations of friends and colleagues Poland EU27 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Package Tour/All Inclusive holiday booked via the Internet Package Tour/All Inclusive Holiday booked through a travel agency Other Travel or accommodation booked through a travel agency Travel/accommodation organised individually Poland EU27 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% Day of/day before departure 2 days, less than a week 1 week, less than a month 1 month, less than 3 months 3 months, less than 6 months 6 months, less than a year 1 year or more Poland All Markets
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 24 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn Chart 5.6 Propensity to use laptop or mobile phone 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Holiday: Using mobile phone Holiday: Using laptop computer Business: Using mobile phone Business: Using laptop computer VFR: Using mobile phone VFR: Using laptop computerPoland All Markets
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 25 6. Perceptions of Britain Key Insights contemporary culture, are positive, Poles hold a negative perception of Brita nd out of 50 nations France and Spain Only 29% say the state Britain, whereas 53% say it applies to Australia competitor destinations being strongly associated with these attributes
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 26 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn 6. Perceptions of Britain Big Picture Perceptions 2011 Nations Brand Index Survey that residents of Poland broadly mirror the full survey panel in their views, but to a lesser extent when where those in Poland were markedly less upbeat in their sentiment. The closer is the coloured line to the edge of the hexagon the more positive is perception of Britain on each dimension. Chart 6.1 Perception of Britain as a nation It is more insightful to look at how Britain ranks (among fifty other nations) on a small number of individual attributes that make up the ble 6.1. There is only a slight difference between how Poles and the typical th versus 3rd coming out 3rd, with this result being built on a very solid Britain. being 13th out of 50 with an especially poor performance in relation to whether Poles feel that they would be warmly welcomed in Britain, coming just 18th. th, compared with 6th on this measure across the full survey panel. Perhaps the most worrying finding given the results presented in Chart 4.3 that indicated how important natural scenic beauty is in deciding on a destination is that Britain ranks just 42nd out of fifty on this measure in Poland. ranked 6th by Poles, whereas across the full survey panel Britian enjoys 4th spot on both these aspects. Measure Polish respondents All respondents Overall Nation Brand 4 3 Culture (overall) 3 4 The country has a rich cultural heritage 7 7 The country is an interesting and exciting place for contemporary culture such as music, films, art and literature 3 4 People (overall) 13 4 If I visited the country, the people would make me feel welcome 18 12 Tourism (overall) 10 4 Would like to visit the country if money was no object 12 6 The country is rich in natural beauty 42 22 The country is rich in historic buildings and monuments 6 4 The country has a vibrant city life and urban attractions 6 4 Cultural Associations As part of the 2011 Nations Brand Index Survey respondents were asked to pick the cultural activities or products that they would most expect to be produced in Britain. It is evident from Chart 6.2 that interesting finding when seen in combination with the results back in Chart 5.2 that highlighted the role that music and bands has in influencing destination choice. Those in Poland are least likely to associate Britain with Exports Governance Culture People Tourism Immigration-Investment Poland All respondents
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 27 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn Chart 6.2 Cultural associations Adjectives to Describe Britain Respondents to the 2011 Nations Brand Index Survey were also asked to pick adjectives from a pre-defined list that they felt would best describe a potential trip to Britain. From Chart 6.3 it is clear that more than one-quarter of those in Poland did not feel any of the adjectives were suitable, with a similar proportion -third of all respondents choosing this option. not something that those in Poland believe a trip would be with a mere 8% considering it to be an appropriate adjective. Chart 6.3 Adjectives describing a potential trip to Britain Visiting Britain: Motivations and Barriers As part of the 2010 and 2011 Nations Brand Index Survey respondents were asked to state whether they considered a number of tourism attributes applied to Britain and other potential destinations. Britain was asked about in each year, and the data presented here represent an arithmetic average unless the attribute was only included in a single year; none of the competitor countries were asked about in both years. The wording of some attributes varied between years. Culture and Heritage ioutperform Britain on this attribute in the view of Poles. There is little to choose between Britain and the leading competitors , myths and as applying more to Britain than both France and Italy was A is much more closely associated with this attribute than is any of the European countries. Chart 6.4 Perceptions of culture and heritage brand attributes (% agreeing) 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Circus Sculpture None of these Opera Street carnival Pop Videos Modern Design Sports Music Films Museums Poland All respondents 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Stressful Risky Spiritual Depressing Romantic Boring Relaxing Exciting Fascinating Educational None of these Poland All respondents 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Has a rich and interesting history Has lots of cultural events and attractions Interesting mix of cultures from around the world Is a mixture of old and new Has fascinating stories, myths, and legends Britain France Italy Spain Germany USA Canada Australia Malaysia
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 28 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn The Destination Offer Looking at other aspects of the destination offer (Chart 6.5) reveals that Britain, with all bar Germany out of the competitor destinations outperforming Britain, indeed, 53% of Poles say that Australia More than six-into France, Italy and Spain, while a meagre 11% consider it applies to Britain. Spain and all the other European competitors except for tain comes ninth out of nine. More than oneto Britain but twice this number think the attribute applies to Spain, although only one-in-five reckon it applies to Germany. Chart 6.5 Perception of what the destination offers (% agreeing) People Looking at the results shown in Chart 6.6 it is clear that the result tally with the findings in Table 6.1. btwice as many in Poland believe this attribute applies to Australia than think it fits the bill for Britain, but Britain does a little better for ith 48% saying it applies, being beaten only by the USA on 52%. agreeing) Dream Activities and Iconic Images As part of the 2010 Nations Brand Index Survey VisitBritain sponsored a question that asked which activities from a pre-defined list respondents would like to do were they to visit Britain. The activities were all highly Britain specific rather than generic (Chart 6.7). It is evident that built heritage is front of mind for those in Poland 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Is a fun place to be Offers lots of different experiences in one destination Is rich in natural scenic beauty Is a luxurious holiday Offers authentic experiences Is stimulating and exciting Is trendy Is a relaxing destination Is a romantic destination Inspires me to visit Britain France Italy Spain Germany USA Canada Australia Malaysia 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Is full of interesting characters People are welcoming People are genuine People are warm, friendly, and welcoming People are warm and friendly Britain France Italy Spain Germany USA Canada Australia Malaysia
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 29 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn with nea of Buckingham Palace and more than one-third watching the sunrise at Stonehenge. Activities that hold less appeal for those in Poland than for the typical respondent included watching tennis at Wimbledon, going shopping in Harrods or visiting locations associated with Harry Potter films. Chart 6.7 Sought after Britain activities (%) Back in 2007 a VisitBritain sponsored question included in the Anholt GMI Nations Brand Index Survey asked res had to send a picture postcard telling a friend that you were on holiday in Britain, which of the following British icons would you were asked to select a single image from a pre-defined list of 15. It can be seen from Chart 6.8 that one-in-three plumped for the image of the red double-decker bus, a rather higher figure than the 24% of all respondents. For more than one-fifth it was the picture of the Queen that best conveyed the idea of being in Britain while 15% selected the red telephone box. Chart 6.8 Iconic images (% selecting each image) Value for Money Looking at further statements included in VisitBritain sponsored questions on the 2010 and 2011 Nations Brand Index Surveys helps explore the views of those in Poland attributes for Britain and a selection of competitors. Chart 6.9 reveals that ither France or Germany. The story is rather less positive in relation to value for money, with the competitors outperforming Britain by a rather wider margin when 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% None of the above Skating on the Christmas ice rink outside the Natural History Museum Going to the Scottish Highland Games in Inverness Watching a tennis match at Wimbledon Playing Golf on the Ryder Cup course in Wales A night at the opera at the Wales Millennium Centre Celebrating New Year's Eve at Edinburgh's Hogmanay festival Visiting locations connected to the Harry Potter films Going on a Beatles tour in Liverpool Watching the latest bands play at the Glastonbury Music Festival Seeing a Shakespeare play at London's Globe Theatre Shopping in Harrods Looking for the mythical Loch Ness monster in Scotland Going on a whiskey tour in a Scottish distillery Watching an English Premier League football match Spending a night in a Scottish castle Watching the sunrise at Stonehenge Going on a tour around Buckingham Palace Go on a tour of the castles of Wales Poland All respondents 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% Covered shopping street Open air concert Green countryside Fish and chips Tea Football Match Old man in bowler hat Draught beer The London Eye Stone Cottages The Union Flag Castle in Scottish Highlands Red phone booths Queen Elizabeth II Two-decked red bus Poland All respondents
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 30 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn agreeing) Respondents to the 2010 and 2011 Nations Brand Index Survey were asked to state how expensive they felt a week long holiday (including the cost of getting to the destination) would be in Britain and a number other destinations on a scale of 1 = not at all expensive to 7 = extremely expensive. The results shown in Chart 6.10 (with the score for Britain being an average of that achieved across the two years) reveal that those in Poland rate long-haul destinations as being the five most expensive, but that out of the European destinations both Italy, and to a greater extent, France, are thought of as being more expensive than Britain for a week long holiday. Chart 6.10 Perceived cost of a week long holiday 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Has good customer service Offers good value for money Food and drink is good value for money Accommodation is good value for money Britain France Italy Spain Germany USA Canada Australia Malaysia 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 Russia Turkey Germany Ireland Britain Italy Malaysia France New Zealand Canada Australia USA Japan
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 31 7. Market Size, Share & Forecast Key Insights Spending of $8.1bn makes Poland the 28th most valuable source market for international tourism worldwide Britain is the third most visited destination by Poles Poles spend twice as much on domestic holidays as they do on outbound holidays The number of visits from Poland to Britain is not forecast to return to record levels experienced a few years ago during the coming decade
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 32 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn 7. Market Size, Share & Forecast The Big Picture Figures from the United Nations World Tourism Organisation for 2010 reveal that international tourism expenditure by residents of Poland amounted to th most valuable source market. While the amount spent has more than doubled since 2000, before allowing for inflation or relative exchange rates, it has fallen back from the $9.9bn achieved in 2008. As a destination for international tourism in its own right, Poland attracted 12.5 million inbound visits during 2010 making it the 19th most visited destination worldwide. Top Destinations Estimates for 2010 indicate that the United Kingdom was the third most visited destination by residents of Poland. It is commonplace for outbound travel to be overwhelmingly intraregional rather than inter-regional and it can be seen from Table 7.1 that Poland is no different, with the only exceptions within the top ey. Table 7.1 Most visited destinations in 2010 Rank Destination Rank Destination 1 Ukraine 6 France 2 Italy 7 Egypt 3 United Kingdom 8 Croatia 4 Russian Federation 9 Czech Republic 5 Germany 10 Turkey Figures from Eurostat indicate that in 2010 85% of all holidays taken by Poles were domestic trips, while out of the remaining 15% of holidays that were outbound 2% were trips of 1-3 night duration while 13% were trips of 4+ nights. Looking at figures for expenditure on holiday trips, 67% was on domestic holidays and 33% on outbound holidays, with these figures being rather different to the split for the number of trips courtesy of the fact that while the average spent on a domestic holiday trip was 93 257. Based on estimates made by Tourism Economics, Britain accounted for around 10% of all outbound trips from Poland in 2010. Our Competitor Set While outbound travel takes place to a multitude of destinations we have developed a framework to identify those destinations that are similarities in terms of distance from the market in question, what it is the destination offers and so on. For example, many Americans go to the Bahamas but Britain is not competing directly with the Bahamas for the American market in the same way as it is competing with France. Chart 7.1 shows how Britain has performed in terms of market share among a realistic competitor set between 2005 and 2010. It can be seen that Britain has seen a slight fall in its share while France, Germany and Italy have all enjoyed something of an increase. Chart 7.1 Britain's market share among competitor set Forecast Growth by World Region As is evident from Chart 7.2 the only region expected to see an increase in visits from Poland of any meaningful size is Europe which has the potential to be welcoming an extra 3.5 million visits per annum by 2020. 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% France Germany Italy United Kingdom Croatia Czech Republic Russia 2005 2010
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 33 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn Chart 7.2 Forecast growth in visits to world regions (000s) Forecast Growth to Britain Chart 7.3 shows historic trends in the number of visits from Poland to Britain along with forecasts through to 2020. The forecast, which airport capacity, indicate that while a gentle increase over the coming decade is possible, numbers of visits from Poland are not likely to return to their peak achieved a few years ago. Chart 7.3 Historic and forecast visits to Britain (000s) -500 -500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 3017 2018 2019 2020 Asia Europe Americas Middle East Africa -200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 Historic Visits Forecast Visits
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 34 8. Access to Britain Key Insights Around 60% of all visits to Britain are by air 300,000 of the annual 1.1 million visits from Poland are by those driving a lorry to/from Britain There are direct air routes from ten airports in Poland to many airports right across Britain although Stansted and Luton attract the most seats Around half of seats are flown by Ryanair with one-third flown by Wizz Air
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 35 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn 8. Access to Britain Practicalities Visitors from Poland do not need a visa in order to visit Britain for a holiday, business trip or short-term study visit. Poland is part of the European Union, and as such there are no restrictions on Italians undertaking paid employment in Britain. Poland is a member of the Schengen Area, which allows internal cross-border travel between some 25 European states without formal border controls. Britain is not part of the Schengen Area. As with all visitors to Britain, a valid passport is required. Mode of Travel Chart 8.1 shows that in the past few years more visits from Poland have been by air than by other modes, but that the volumes choosing to fly have fallen in the past couple of years while there has been little change in the numbers coming by sea or through the Channel Tunnel. Chart 8.1 Visits by mode of transport (000s) Chart 8.2 shows for those visitors not travelling by air whether they brought a vehicle with them through the Channel Tunnel or on-board a ferry, or whether they were using Eurostar. It can be seen that the International Passenger Survey picked up virtually no visits from Poland that were by Eurostar during 2010 but the key finding emerging from the chart is without question the very large volumes of visits from Poland that involve bringing a lorry either on a ferry or through the Channel Tunnel, with in total more than 300,000 such visits, which is roughly one-quarter of the entire market. Chart 8.2 Sea and tunnel travel (000s) Airline Seat Capacity Trends Chart 8.3 shows monthly airline seat capacity from Poland to Britain. It is clear that over the past five years there was a hefty increase in capacity through to 2008, followed by a downward drift, though this would appear to have plateaued during 2011. There is no seasonality in seat capacity. Chart 8.3 Monthly airline seat capacity trends Origins and Destinations Map 8.1 shows the destination of direct transport routes to the UK from Poland. However, as will become apparent from Chart 8.5 some of these airports saw relatively little capacity during 2011. As is clear from Chart 8.2 despite this involving transit by land through other countries in Europe, a very substantial number of visits to Britain will -100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1,000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Air Sea Tunnel -50 100 150 200 250 Tunnel: Eurostar Tunnel: Coach Tunnel: Lorry Tunnel: Private vehicle Sea: Foot passenger Sea: Coach Sea: Lorry Sea: Private vehicle -50,000 100,000 150,000 200,000 250,000 300,000 350,000 Jan-06 Jul-06 Jan-07 Jul-07 Jan-08 Jul-08 Jan-09 Jul-09 Jan-10 Jul-10 Jan-11 Jul-11
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 36 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn be through using the Channel Tunnel or ferry routes. Map 8.1 Ports of entry to Britain Chart 8.4 shows the annual seat capacity departing airports in Poland for Britain and it is apparent that although Warsaw accounts for more seats than any other airport several Polish cities contribute significant numbers of Britain-bound seats. From Chart 8.5 Stansted and Luton dominate the picture, each with more than half a million seats, followed by Heathrow with just shy of 300,000. There are numerous airports in the north of England, Scotland and indeed one in Northern Ireland with direct links from Poland. As can be seen from Chart 8.6 there are currently a number of airlines that fly between Poland and Britain, but the market is definitely dominated by Ryanair with almost half of all seats, followed by Wizz Air which accounts for roughly one-third of the market. Chart 8.4 Origin airport annual seat capacity -200,000 400,000 600,000 Szczecin -Goleniow Airport Bydgoszcz Airport Lodz Lublinek Airport Rzeszow -Jasionka Airport Poznan -Lawica Airport Wroclaw Copernicus Airport Katowice International Airport Gdansk Lech Walesa Airport Krakow-Balice -J. Paul II Balice International Airport Warsaw -Frederic Chopin Airport
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 37 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn Chart 8.5 Destination airport annual seat capacity Chart 8.6 Airline seat capacity by carrier -150,000 300,000 450,000 600,000 750,000 Other UK airports Newcastle Airport Belfast International Airport Leeds/Bradford Airport London -Gatwick Airport Glasgow Prestwick Airport Birmingham International Airport East Midlands Airport Bristol Airport Edinburgh Airport Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield Liverpool John Lennon Airport London -Heathrow Airport London -Luton Airport London -Stansted Airport Ryanair Wizz Air easyJet British Airways LOT Polish Airlines Other airlines
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 38 9. Trip Characteristics Key Insights th most important market in terms of visits but just 15th most important in terms of value All trip types have a low average spend per night The number of visits increased seven-fold between 2002 and 2008, but 25% of this increase has been reversed since 2009 relatives 12% of spend comes from visits whose primary journey Although July to September is the time of year when most leisure visits take place there is not huge seasonal variation Around 80% of all visitor nights are spent as a free guest of relatives or friends The West Midlands attracts more business visitor nights than any other part of Britain 75% of visits includes use of a coach or bus
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 39 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn 9. Trip Characteristics Volume and Value Trends There was just more than 1.1 million visits from Poland to Britain during 2010 (Table 9.1) with this being an increase of 6% on the year before. This makes Poland the 9th most important market for Britain in terms of visits, but despite an 11% fall in visitor nights it is the 6th biggest generator of nights. There was a considerable fall in spending by visitors from Poland 15th most valuable source market. The latest quarterly data for visits from Poland can be found in Table 2.1. Table 9.1 Inbound volume and value Measure 2010 Annual change Rank Visits (000s) 1,101 6% 9 Nights (000s) 10,731 -11% 6 Spend (£m) 313 -14% 15 Table 9.2 covers a range of key market metrics for Poland by journey purpose. It can be seen that this is a market characterised by a low spend per night, with the most atypical figure being the comparatively low spend per night for business visits, however this is explained by the earlier revelation that many of these visitors are in fact truck drivers. Holiday visits have an extended average length of stay, so despite spend per night of just £40 each generates around £400, while VFR trips last for almost two weeks, but nevertheless each such trip results in spending of only £239 on average. Although a small market segment study visits last for more than seven weeks leading to an average spend per visit of more than £1,600. Table 9.2 Nights per visit, spend per night/visit Journey Purpose Nights per visit Spend per night Spend per visit Holiday 10 £40 £399 Business 3 £47 £160 Visiting Friends/Relatives 13 £19 £239 Study 52 £31 £1,626 All visits 10 £29 £284 Looking at longer term trends since 1993 as shown in Chart 9.1 it is apparent that the annual number of visits to Britain has undergone some dramatic changes. For the period 1993 to 2002 there was accession to the European Union in May 2004 the number of visits expanded very rapidly. This can be explained by a combination of factors including the liberalisation of the aviation market between the two countries and the freedom of movement of capital, goods and labour that followed the expansion of the EU. The number of visits increased seven-fold between 2002 and 2008, but has since fallen back to around 1.1 million. The story for visitor spending, shown in constant 2010 prices, is not dissimilar to that for visits but with the growth being a little less dramatic during the period 2002 to 2008. Indeed, at 2010 prices spending in 2010 was only around three times that which it had been eight years earlier. Chart 9.1 Volume and value trends Journey Purpose The share of visits, visitor nights and visitor spend accounted for by each type of journey purpose is shown in Chart 9.2. It can be seen that in 2010 36% of visits were fo Due to different average length of stay and spend per night almost one-quarter of spend, -200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 Visits (000s) Spend (£m, 2010 prices)
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 40 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn account for 10% of all nights and 12% of all spending from Poland. Chart 9.2 Journey purpose mix From Chart 9.2 we have a clear picture of the journey purpose distribution in 2010, but it is helpful to look at longer-term trends and this is done in Chart 9.3 which shows the number of visits by major journey purpose over the course of the last decade. In most years Business and VFR vie with one another to generate the most trips with each having seen a sharp increased followed by a gentle decline in recent years. The story for Holiday visits is a little more intriguing with a much more modest increase, in effect doubling over the past ten years, but managing to sustain a consistent 200,000 visits per annum. The Chart 9.3 Journey purpose trend (000s of visits) Duration of Stay As can be seen from Chart 9.4 the most common trip duration is 1-3 nights, with the track of the number of such visits closely mirroring the overall picture for the market shown in Chart 9.1. The number of visits that lasts 4-7 nights has moved firmly into second spot over recent years. Chart 9.4 Duration of stay trend (000s of visits) The volume of trips by duration of stay broken down by journey purpose is shown in Chart 9.5 and shows that the vast majority of Business visits are 1-3 nights while for both Holiday and VFR visits most commonly fall into the 4-7 night category. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Holiday/pleasure Visit family Visit friends Getting married Play amateur sport Watch sport Personal shopping Business/work Visit trade fair Conference 20+ people Looking for work Au Pair Formal course Medical treatment Accompany join Other Overnight transit Same day transit Visits Nights Spend -100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Business Holiday VFR Misc Study -100 200 300 400 500 600 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Nil nights 1-3 nights 4-7 nights 8-14 nights 15+ nights
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 41 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn Chart 9.5 Duration of stay by journey purpose Seasonality Looking at when visits from Poland take place (Chart 9.6) reveals that although July to September tends to be the busiest quarter there is not a substantial degree of seasonality at the aggregate level. Chart 9.6 Seasonality trend (000s of visits) Breaking down the number of visits by season and journey purpose (Chart 9.7) indicates that, in 2010 at least, for Business visits April to June seemed to be the favoured time of year, whereas for Holiday and VFR July to September gained the most visits, but not by a significant margin. Chart 9.7 Seasonality by journey purpose Accommodation Choices Chart 9.8 shows the distribution of visitor nights by journey purpose and type of accommodation stayed in. There is clearly do doubt that used form of accommodation thanks primarily, though not exclusively, to nights by those visiting friends or relatives. It is the type of accommodation accounting for more Holiday visit nights n, with these most likely to be lorry drivers sleeping in their cab. Chart 9.8 Accommodation stayed in (000s of nights) Trips to Different Parts of Britain Most Popular Destinations The regional spread of visits from Poland by journey purpose is shown in Chart 9.9 and reveals that for Holiday visits London is the favoured area to stay in, followed by Scotland, South East and East of England. The story for Business is unlike most other inbound markets, -50,000 100,000 150,000 200,000 250,000 300,000 350,000 Holiday Business VFR Study Misc Nil nights 1-3 nights 4-7 nights 8-14 nights 15+ nights -100 200 300 400 500 600 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Jan-Mar Apr-Jun Jul-Sep Oct-Dec -20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 100,000 120,000 140,000 160,000 Holiday Business VFR Study Misc Jan-Mar Apr-Jun Jul-Sep Oct-Dec -1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 9,000 Bed & Breakfast Camping/mobile home Free guest with relatives or friends Hostel/university/school Hotel/guest house Other Own home Paying guest family or friends house Rented house Holiday Business VFR Study Misc
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 42 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn probably due to the large number of truck drivers within this segment for Poland. More Business visits from Poland stay in the West Midlands than in any other region of Britain. More VFR visits are to London than anywhere else, but just about all regions attract a significant number of such trips, not surprising when one considers the findings back in Chapter 3 that more than half a million Polish born citizens are currently resident in Britain. Chart 9.9 Visits by area and journey purpose (000s) Looking at the top towns visited, based on an average over a four year period due to low sample sizes when analysing town level data from the International Passenger Survey, it is apparent (Table 9.3) that London is a clear leader, but that both Birmingham and Manchester attract significant numbers of staying visits. Table 9.3 Top towns visited Town Visits (000s) London 400 Birmingham 81 Manchester 68 Edinburgh 37 Glasgow 34 Visits to the Coast, Countryside and Villages From a VisitBritain sponsored question included on the International Passenger Survey we can see how many visits from Poland include time in rural or coastal areas (Chart 9.10). It is apparent that between one-fifth and one-quarter of Holiday visits from Poland do make it to rural or coastal Britain, not far distant to the situation for the typical inbound Holiday market. Those visiting friends or relatives are a little less likely than average to go to the coast or countryside, but clearly just about no visit from Chart 9.10 Propensity to visit coast, countryside and villages Transport used while in Britain Based on a VisitBritain sponsored question included on the International Passenger Survey (Chart 9.11) we can observe that a defining characteristic of the market from Poland in this regard is that 75% of visits use a coach or bus during a stay in Britain, nearly propensity than average to make use of London Underground, but are less likely than average to be found in a taxi or a car. Chart 9.11 Propensity to use internal modes of transport Touring From a VisitBritain question included on the International Passenger Survey (Chart 9.12) it is clear that visits from Poland are much less likely than average to get out and about away from where they are staying with only one-in-six of leisure visits engaging in the activity. -20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 Nil Nights Scotland Wales Northern Ireland London North East North West Yorkshire West Midlands East Midlands East of England South West South East Holiday Business VFR 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% Holiday: Visiting the Coast Holiday: Visiting villages Holiday: Visiting the Countryside Business: Visiting the Coast Business: Visiting Villages Business: Visiting the Countryside VFR: Visiting the Coast VFR: Visiting Villages VFR: Visiting the CountrysidePoland All Markets 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% Other Coach/Bus Tube Train Taxi Hired Car Own/Friends/Family Car Air Bicycle Poland All Markets
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 43 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn Chart 9.12 Propensity to explore several locations by car, coach or train Multi-destination Trips Based on a VisitBritain sponsored question included on the International Passenger Survey we can see (Chart 9.13) that Poland stands in stark contrast to the average market when looking at the -Typically business trips are less likely than leisure trips to be just to Britain, but for Poland the reverse is true, with 13% of Holiday but 38% of Business visits being a multi-country trip. The reason for this peculiarity will be the high volumes of business visits that are in fact by those driving a lorry (Chart 8.2), which by necessity will have involved spending time in other countries during the journey to/from Britain. Chart 9.13 Propensity to combine Britain with other destinations 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% Holiday Business VFR Poland All Markets 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% Holiday Business VFR Poland All Markets
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 44 10. Visitor Characteristics Key Insights Virtually all business visitors are male but Britain attracts more female than male leisure visitors 20% of Holiday visitors are travelling as part of a tour group Only 45% of Holiday visitors are making a repeat visit to Britain Masovia, the region of Poland that includes Warsaw, generates more visits than any other area of Poland recommend Britain for a holiday or short-break compared with 39% of all visitors
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 45 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn 10. Visitor Characteristics Visitor Demographics Based on a three-year rolling average, to overcome any issues relating to small sample sizes, Chart 10.1 reveals the demographic profile of visitors to Britain from Poland. The most striking feature of the chart is the complete male dominance of the business visitor market, whereas for leisure there are in fact rather more female than male visitors, most notably for VFR visits. It is also clear that the Chart 10.1 Visitor demographics (000s of visits) Trends in the number of visits by age cohort over the past decade are shown in Chart 10.2 and it is apparent that fairly consistently there are more visits by those aged 25-34 than any other age. Chart 10.2 Age group trend (000s of visits) Travelling Companions Based on a VisitBritain sponsored question asked on the International Passenger Survey (Chart 10.3) it can be seen that nearly three-quarters of Business visitors are travelling on their own, not a big surprise considering the importance of the lorry driver market, while most of the rest are accompanied by business colleagues. Another insight worth highlighting is that slightly more than 20% of those making a Holiday visit are part of a tour group. question the percentages for each journey purpose will sum to more than 100% as a respondent to the survey might be travelling with, for example, a spouse/partner, child aged 0-4 and adult friends. Chart 10.3 Travelling companions Table 10.1 shows the average cohort size for visits for each of the main journey purpose categories indicating that leisure parties have a somewhat greater size than do either business or study parties. Table 10.1 Cohort size by journey purpose Journey Purpose Cohort Size Holiday 1.71 Business 1.17 Visiting Friends/Relatives 1.85 Study 1.00 Miscellaneous 1.70 All Purpose Average 1.56 -50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Business Holiday VFR Study Misc 0-15 15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ -100 200 300 400 500 600 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 0 -15 16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Travelling on own Spouse/Partner Child(ren) aged 0-4 Child(ren) aged 5-11 Child(ren) aged 12-17 Adult Friend(s) Adult family member(s) Business colleague(s) Part of a Tour Group Holiday Business VFR
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 46 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn Repeat Visitors Based on results from a VisitBritain sponsored question included on the International Passenger Survey it can be seen (Chart 10.4) that while nearly all of those on a Business visit have prior experience of a trip to Britain, for VFR and particularly Holiday visitors those from Poland are a little less likely than average to have been to Britain before, indeed only 45% of Holiday visitors are not first-time visitors. Chart 10.4 Propensity to be making a repeat visit Nationality The data presented thus far has related to the number of visits by those who are residents of Poland, but the International Passenger Survey also collects information on nationality (Chart 10.5). This reveals that the vast majority of visitors are Polish nationals. Chart 10.5 Visitor nationalities Where visitors live From a VisitBritain sponsored question included on the International Passenger Survey (Chart 10.6) it can be seen that Masovia, the region in which Warsaw can be found, accounts for more visits than does any other part of the country. Chart 10.6 Where visitors live Welcome and Likelihood to Recommend Although covering only those visitors who travel to Britain by air VisitBritain sponsored questions included on the Civil Aviation Authority Departing Passenger Survey provide an indication of the degree to which visitors were made to feel welcome during their visit and how likely they are to recommend Britain for a short break or a holiday to friends and family. With a sample size of 286 we need to treat these results with a degree of caution, and to recognise that interviews were only conducted in English. It can be seen from Chart 10.7 that departing visitors from Poland average respondent (18% versus 25%) and rather more prone to Turning to likelihood to recommend Britain for a holiday or shortbreak it is apparent (Chart 10.8) that the situation is somewhat similar, with fewer of those from Poland than the typical market 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Holiday Business VFR Poland All markets Polish British Other -50 100 150 200 250 Opole Swietokrzyskie Subcarpathia Lublin Lubusz Warmia-Masuria West Pomerania Podlasie Lodz Lesser Poland Kuyavia-Pomerania Lower Silesia Pomerania Greater Poland Silesia Masovia
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 47 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn Chart 10.8 Likelihood to recommend Britain 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Not at all welcome Not very welcome Quite welcome Very welcome Extremely welcome Poland All markets 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Not at all likely Not very likely Quite likely Very likely Extremely likely Poland All markets
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 48 11. Activitie s Undertaken in Britain Key Insights Leisure visits from Poland have an above average propensity to go to museums and art galleries and to go to live music events, but are a lot less likely than average to go to the theatre 4% of VFR visits includes attendance at a football match Only around one-in-ten leisure visits will feature a walk by the coast or in the countryside which is well below average 3% of spend comes courtesy of those whose primary journey
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 49 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn 11. Activities Undertaken in Britain Culture and Heritage Museums and Galleries Nearly six-in-ten Holiday visits from Poland include time in a Museum and almost half visit an art gallery (Chart 11.1), well above higher than average propensity to be found in museums or art galleries, whereas virtually no Business visits end up in these venues. Chart 11.1 Propensity to visit museums and galleries Built Heritage From Chart 11.2 it is evident that Holiday visits from Poland are quite prone to feature a castle or historic house, with 30% also going to religious buildings or monuments, though unlike the first two types of built heritage site this is a little below average for holiday visits. Chart 11.2 Propensity to visit built heritage sites Performing Arts It would seem that those visiting Britain for a holiday from Poland have a very low tendency to go to a theatre, just 5% doing so, whereas they are in fact a little more likely than average to go to a live music event (11%). Chart 11.3 Propensity to visit the performing arts Sport and Outdoors It was shown in Chart 9.2 that the International Passenger Survey did not pick up any visits that were primarily to watch sport or to play amateur sport. Football From Chart 11.4 it is clear that watching football is something that appears to appeal to VFR visitors from Poland, with very nearly 4% of all such visits having a football match on the itinerary. Golf Again looking at Chart 11.4 it can be seen that golf is very much a niche activity, with those on a Holiday trip most likely to play a round, though even here, only 1% actually does so. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Holiday: Visiting a museum Holiday: Visiting an art gallery Business: Visiting a museum Business: Visiting an art gallery VFR: Visiting a museum VFR: Visiting an art gallery Poland All Markets 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Holiday: Visiting religious buildings Holiday: Visiting a castle Holiday: Visiting a historic house Business: Visiting religious buildings Business: Visiting a castle Business: Visiting a historic house VFR: Visiting religious buildings VFR: Visiting a castle VFR: Visiting a historic house Poland All Markets 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% Holiday: Going to the theatre Holiday: Going to live music events Business: Going to the theatre Business: Going to live music events VFR: Going to the theatre VFR: Going to live music events VFR: Visiting literary, music, film/tv locations Poland All Markets
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 50 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn Chart 11.4 Propensity to play golf or watch football Walking and Cycling Chart 11.5 indicates that walking in the countryside is not top of the wishlist for those coming to Britain from Poland, with only around 10% of leisure visits encompassing the activity. Although perhaps purely a function of a statistical quirk in the sample, it appears as though those from Poland are a little more likely than others to do some cycling while in Britain. Chart 11.5 Propensity to go for a walk or cycle Parks and Gardens More than one-third of Holiday visits from Poland includes at least one trip to a park or garden (Chart 11.6), but this is a little down on -in-four VFR but virtually no Business visits will end up in a green space. Chart 11.6 Propensity to visit a park or garden Eating, Drinking and Socialising Some of the activities included in Chart 11.7 are perhaps more country for a few days there is a strong chance that you will need to eat in a restaurant, and it is clear that a substantial proportion of those visiting from Poland sit down in a restaurant, but the figures are rather lower than for the typical inbound market. Going to a pub is rather more optional and it can be seen that while 40% of Holiday and 36% of VFR visits include the activity those from Poland are a little less likely than average to partake in the activity. Chart 11.7 Propensity to go to restaurants, pubs, nightclubs and socialise with locals Shopping It was shown in Chart 9.2 that 3% of total visitor spending. It is evident from Chart 11.8 that leisure visits from Poland are quite likely to feature shopping, but with a lower propensity than for the typical inbound market. Yet again 0.0% 1.0% 2.0% 3.0% 4.0% Holiday: Playing golf Holiday: Going to a football match Business: Playing golf Business: Going to a football match VFR: Playing golf VFR: Going to a football match Poland All Markets 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% Holiday: Walking in the countryside Holiday: Walking along the coast Holiday: Cycling Business: Walking in the countryside Business: Walking along the coast Business: Cycling VFR: Walking in the countryside VFR: Walking along the coast VFR: Cycling Poland All Markets 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Holiday Business VFR Poland All Markets 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% Holiday: Dining in restaurants Holiday: Going to a pub Holiday: Going to a nightclub Holiday: Socialising with locals Business: Dining in restaurants Business: Going to a pub Business: Going to a nightclub Business: Socialising with locals VFR: Dining in restaurants VFR: Going to a pub VFR: Going to a nightclub VFR: Socialising with locals Poland All Markets
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 51 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn shopping is another activity that those on a Business trip from Poland are not very likely to engage with. Chart 11.8 Propensity to shop Studying It was apparent from Chart 9.2 that 1% of visits from Poland had accounting for 5% of all visitor spending. Figures from UCAS show that in 2010 1,032 residents of Poland were accepted onto degree or HND courses being offered by UK universities, with around six-in-ten of these students being female. Students who are living in Britain for longer than twelve months would not be picked up as an inbound visitor by the International Passenger Survey. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Holiday: Shop for clothes/accessories Holiday: Shop for souvenirs Business: Shop for clothes/accessories Business: Shop for souvenirs VFR: Shop for clothes/accessories VFR: Shop for souvenirs Poland All Markets
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 52 12. Caring for the Consumer Key Insights Poles are proud to have maintained an unbroken cultural identity despite having been invaded many times Poles are generally easy-going but they may suddenly turn serious and hot-blooded when they are really unhappy with a service or product Visitors appreciate information being available in their own language Poles have a lacklustre opinion regarding the quality of British food, but British pubs are popular A cooked breakfast is not very common in Poland Ownership of credit cards is relatively low compared with Western Europe and many Poles prefer to pay with cash
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 53 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn 12. Caring for the Consumer Language The Polish visitors do not expect British hosts to speak Polish since the majority of Polish travellers (especially under 50s) speak English quite well. However, it is still an advantage to have information materials printed in Polish and to know a few basic quite annoying for the Polish visitors when the hosts speak Russian instead of Polish. Following centuries of invasion from neighbouring countries, Poles are proud to have maintained an unbroken cultural identity and value their recently attained autonomy. As part of the 2007 GMI Anholt Nations Brand Index Survey VisitBritain sponsored a question that asked respondents to consider a raft of different statements and say whether or not they agreed or disagreed with them. ng from respondents in Poland was 5.42, markedly higher than the 4.99 figure when looking at all respondents combined. Table 12.1 Language basics English Polish Please Thank you Yes Tak No Nie Sorry! (apology) Przepraszam Excuse me! Przepraszam Sorry, I do not speak Polish polsku Table 12.2 Language tips for arrival and departure English Polish Hello My nam Welcome to Britain Witamy w Wielkiej Brytanii Pleased to meet you! How are you? Enjoy your visit! Goodbye Do widzenia Did you enjoy your visit? Have a safe journey home! Hope to see you again soon! Do zobaczenie wkrótce! Understanding Culture and Etiquette Poles are generally easy-going but they may suddenly turn serious and hot-blooded when they are really unhappy with a service or product. Poles are known for being direct communicators; they say what they are thinking. In Poland queuing for a taxi or to get on a bus is not common. Poles are quite spontaneous and may ask for some recommendations once they are on location. Accommodation Likes and Dislikes Value for money is really important to Poles when away on holiday. The cost of accommodation tends to be much higher in Britain than in Poland which raises expectations for very good standard and service. Poles often think of British rooms as very small, especially in London. Cleanliness is important for Polish visitors. Tiled bathroom floors are certainly preferable to carpeted ones. Shower cabins rather than bathtubs with shower curtains are usually preferred, as wash basins with mixed taps rather than separate taps for hot and cold. Poles generally prefer beds with duvets rather than tucked-in sheets with blankets and often think of British rooms too cold, since in Poland, double-glazed windows and central heating are the norm.
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 54 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn Poles appreciate the fact that most British hotels offer tea making facilities in hotel rooms. Around 65% of individual Polish travellers book 3-star hotels, B&Bs or hostels. However, they usually book 4-5 star accommodation when on package tours. Environmental awareness is still a work in progress and it is not a knock-out criterion for the choice of a holiday accommodation. Food and Drink Another of the statements included in the 2007 GMI Nations in Poland tended to agree rather more strongly with the statement Meal Times Poles eat bread, bread rolls with a good selection of jam, cold cuts, cheese or cottage cheese or eggs for breakfast. Cooked breakfast is not very common in Poland. The most important and substantial meal of the day is lunch, usually eaten somewhere between 1pm and 5pm, either at home or in the workplace canteen. Lunch is closer to a Western dinner, but the timing is more like lunch. lunchtime. However, the timing is moving to evening, especially in urban areas and when both parents work. The evening meal is supper/dinner. The time and menu vary greatly: sometimes it can be nearly as substantial as lunch but e bit of salad or even lighter, a pastry and a glass of tea. Supper is eaten between 6 and 7pm. Likes and Dislikes A common stereotype about Britain in Poland is still that the food is bad, without any flavour. Do not be surprised if they ask about salt and pepper. This, however, is slowly changing due to the popularity of Jamie Oliver and other British chefs. Poles are keen to explore local food and produce. British pubs are generally loved and pub food usually goes down well. Poles are passionate tea drinkers but seldom drink it with milk Instead, a slice of lemon is added plus sugar to taste. Coffee is another popular drink and they like it strong. These days drinking habits of Poles are changing; increasingly Poles are turning to beer and wine instead of vodka. In spite of the stereotypes, Poles are not large consumers of alcohol, and excessive drinking is frowned upon. Paying Bills Ownership and use of credit cards is generally still quite low in Poland compared to other European countries and many Poles prefer to pay in cash. Based on a VisitBritain sponsored question included on the International Passenger Survey (Chart 12.1) it can be seen that once again Poland stands apart from the typical market, with Business visits being less likely than those for a Holiday or VFR to make use of a credit card. The explanation for only 16% of Business visits including a transaction on plastic is likely to be the very large volume of lorry drivers within this segment. Chart 12.1 Propensity to use a credit card 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Holiday Business VFR Poland All Markets
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 55 13. The Leisure & Travel Trade Key Insights The Polish tourism market is dominated by many small businesses The large tour operators research their main programmes between February and April It is relatively easy to travel around the major cities by means of public transport First names are rarely used at an initial business meeting Being punctual is crucial Business is taken seriously and Poles don't appreciate the Western-style sales pitch If you commit to the Polish market, you will need to visit your contacts at least once or twice a year
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 56 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn 13. The Leisure & Travel Trade Trade Structure The tourism market in Poland is in the process of transformation from a market of marginal importance to one that is becoming increasingly important in Europe. The Polish tourism market is dominated by many small businesses the majority of which have 1-9 employees. Currently, there are approximately 3,074 registered companies in the tourism sector and 74% of all employees in the tourism sector work in small travel agencies or with tour operators. Tour operators and tour agents need to hold a special license to operate. Standard requirements for establishing and running a travel business are stipulated in the bill for tourist services (valid from August 1997). The distinction between tour operators and travel agents is not as marked as, for example in Germany. In the Polish market, the majority of the companies are both tour operators and travel agencies. About 500 Polish travel agencies are members of the Polish Chamber of Tourism which is a full member of ECTAA and represents a guarantee of quality for associated travel agencies. The Polish Chamber of Tourism also protects Polish travel agencies against competition from foreign tour operators, who enter the local market. Tour Operators There are approximately 600 tour operators, both incoming and outgoing, in the Polish market and around 2,474 companies of these are both tour operators and travel agencies. Itaka has been the largest tour operator since 2008 (with the annual turnover of 900 mill PLN in 2010, compared to 720, mill PLN in 2009) Triada (offering groups and individuals, coaches and flight tickets and transport, the annual turnover of 507 mil PLN in 2010, compared to 515 mill PLN in 2009) TUI Poland (annual turnover of 322,13 PLN in 2010, compared to 364,50 mill PLN in 2009) Rainbow Tours (annual turnover of 318,00 mill PLN in 2010, compared to 302,00 mill PLN in 2009) Neckermann (annual turnover of 280,00 mill PLN in 2010, compared to 325,00 mill PLN in 2009) Alfa Star (annual turnover of 278,28 mill PLN in 2010, compared to 306,97 mill PLN in 2009) Exim Tours (annual turnover of 270,00 mill PLN in 2010, compared to 300,00 mill PLN in 2009) Wezyr Holidays (annual turnover of 197,78 mill PLN in 2010, compared to 126,00 mill PLN in 2009) Oasis Tours (annual turnover of 185,00 mill PLN in 2010, compared to 90,00 mill PLN in 2009) Sun & Fun Holidays (annual turnover of 166,00 mill PLN in 2010, compared to 174,95 mill PLN in 2009) June 2011). Only Itaka and Triada offer British products. The rest of major operators are orientated mainly towards sun and exotic holidays. There are lots of small travel companies which concentrate on specialised trips such as sailing tours, language travel courses, horse riding trips, sport tours and custom made trips. Among them, there are companies which offer the British products as well. The smaller companies sell sometimes more British products than the biggest players. Tour operators with British programmes are: Atas: innovative tour operator for language holidays and language schools, language courses for youths and adults and accommodation in hotels, youth residences or with host families. Almatur: offering full service programmes for groups and individuals, hotels and transport Sindbad: travel office and tour operator offering bus tickets, flights, full service programmes for groups and individual, including sport programmes Regent: offering city breaks for groups and individuals, hotels and transport Lingwista: offering full service programmes for groups and individuals, hotels and transport According to a report compiled by Wiadomosci Turystyczne: Almatur, Poland, BUT, Atas, OK Tours, Kompas, Szarpie Travel, Prima Tour are the top 7 youth organizers. The top 8 online travel agencies are:
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 57 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn Travelplanet.pl Fly.pl Wakacje.pl Tourispol.com Nesto.pl Traveligo.pl Traveliada.pl Superwakacje.pl Planning Cycle The large tour operators research their main programmes between February and April. These programmes are costed between May and July and launched in September/October. The smaller specialist operators tend to research their programmes later in August-September for a launch in January/March. Off-season/city break operators research their winter programmes in March/April and launch them in June/August. Trade Exhibitions Tour Salon Travel Fair, Poznan is the largest trade show of its type organised in Poland, with 30,000 visitors in 2011, including 15,000 trade visitors. The fair is held during the latter part of October in the city of Poznan in western Poland. In 2012 it will be organized between 24th and 2th October. TT Warsaw is the second largest holiday fair for trade and consumers in Poland with 22,363 visitors in 2011, including 11,334 trade visitors. The show is held at The Trade Fair and Congress Centre MT Polska in Marsa 56 Street in Warsaw at the end of September. In 20112 it will be organized between 27th and 29th September. Doing Business Where to find the trade Tour operators are spread throughout Poland but there is a concentration in Warsaw, Poznan, Wroclaw, Opole, Krakow and Gdansk. Time difference Poland is GMT+1 (when it is 12:00 noon in the UK it is 1 pm in Poland). Daylight Savings Time is the same as in the UK (until 30 October 2011 and from 25 March 2012). Climate Poland has a moderate climate with both maritime and continental elements. This is due to humid Atlantic air which collides over its territory with dry air from the Eurasian interior. As a result, the weather tends to be capricious and the seasons may look quite different in consecutive years. This is particularly true for winters, which are either wet, of the oceanic type, or -less often -sunny, of the continental type. Generally, in north and west Poland the climate is predominantly maritime, with gentle, humid winters and cool, rainy summers, while the eastern part of the country has distinctly continental climate with harsh winters and hotter, drier summers. Transport and so smaller roads in cities, towns and rural routes are usually full of potholes and partly eroded repairs. Drivers should pay extra attention to road conditions and be prepared to brake or swerve round the worst damage. Many of the major road routes between large towns are routinely being upgraded. While in the longer term, this can only be good news, drivers need to build in extra travel time to account for the risk of queuing in long lines of traffic. Being in a hurry to reach a destination will increase the risk of an accident occurring. In most cities you can travel on the bus and tram, and some also have trolleybuses. Warsaw is the only city with a metro. The local airports operate a comprehensive network of domestic routes. There are daily flights between Warsaw and Bydgoszcz, Gdansk, Katowice, Krakow, Lodz, Poznan, Rzeszow, Szczecin, Wroclaw and Zielona Gora. Polish trains on intercity routes are at a relatively acceptable European level (in terms of comfort and safety). The railway network is much more extensive in the west of the country than in the east. From Warsaw you can reach the other main cities within 2-6 hours and prices per person range from 15-50 EUR depending on the distance and the train classification.
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 58 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn Public Holidays Table 13.1 Public holidays in 2012 Date Holiday 1 January 6 January Three Kings Day 9 April Easter Monday 1 May Labour Day/State Day 2 May National Flag Day 3 May Constitution Day 7 June Corpus Christi 15 August Assumption Day 1 November All Saints Day 11 November Independence Day 25-26 December Christmas Business Hours Business hours are usually 08:00/09:00 16:00/17:00 (with 30 minute lunch break). Meetings Greeting It is usual to shake hands on greeting and it is still quite common for ladies to have their hands kissed. If meeting or departing from a group ensure each individual is addressed separately rather than a wave for the group. It is polite to wait for a woman to extend her hand upon initial meetings. Poland is a rather formal and hierarchical culture. As a result first names are rarely used initially in the business context. Address people with Pan (Mr.) and Pani (Mrs.) plus the surname. If a relationship warms up to the degree where first names can be used, always await the other party to signal that this is the case. Hands in pockets is considered disrespectful and rude. It is also bad etiquette to sit with one ankle resting on the other knee. When you meet a group of people, wait to be introduced by a third party. Timing The Polish workday usually starts around 8am or 9am and ends about 4 Check to ensure that you trip does not coincide with a public holiday. As is the case in Britain, many Poles take a long weekend, especially in the spring and summer time. Check on whether there is a large trade fair happening in the city you are visiting, as it may be impossible to find a hotel room. Being punctual is crucial. If you expect to be delayed, especially more than 15 minutes, telephone and let the company know. Dress Mostly the dress is smart casual conservative. In the larger companies and banks conservative suits and ties in subdued colours are usually worn. Bright colours are considered inappropriate. Women's dress etiquette is to wear conservative suits or dresses, again bright colours should be avoided. The usual classical colours are worn, for example black, navy blue, grey, brown or beige. T-shits, sweatpants, shorts and runner shoes are not acceptable in the business world. Business Meeting Etiquette When planning a visit please make sure you make an appointment beforehand and be on time. Make appointments in advance preferably by email and if necessary with a follow-up phone call a few days later. Reconfirm verbal arrangements by email or letter. Be punctual. The Polish tend to arrive early for appointments and will expect you to turn up on time. Try to get a message through if you are delayed. Announce your name and company when asking for people by phone (also when speaking to switchboard). This is standard Polish practice. Send potential business partners your sales documentation in advance so that they can do their preparatory homework. Get to the point. Your contacts will assume you want to do business and are much more likely to respond positively to a direct and forthright approach. Business presentations need to be clear, concise and easily understood. Bells and whistles are a waste of time. Business is taken seriously and the Poles don't appreciate the Western-style sales pitch. Just say it as it is and keep it strictly business. Relationships If you commit to the Polish market, you will need to visit your contacts at least once or twice a year. Additionally, make sure that you keep in regular contact with them, even when you are back in Britain. Hospitality Etiquette If there is the opportunity it is definitely a good idea to take your Polish business partner out for a meal either to build up a relationship or to thank for business given in the past. Here are some practical tips to help you plan this: When choosing a restaurant ensure beforehand that credit cards
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 59 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn are accepted or bring enough cash. Many Polish restaurants still do not take credit cards. Arrive on time as punctuality indicates reliability. Never arrive more than 15 minutes later than invited without telephoning to explain you have been detained. If you order water, you will be asked whether you wish still or carbonated mineral water. In some restaurants you may request tap water, but the practice is uncommon. Soft drinks generally are served in 0.2 and 0.3 L sizes. Beer is usually served in 0.3 (small) or 0.5 Litre sizes (large). Service and VAT are included in the menu price in restaurants and bars all over Poland. Still, it is typical to "round up" the amount to some more-or-less round figure. However, if you are paying for more than one person, you might go even higher. A rule of thumb is to add 5-10%. If you are not paying for all splitting a bill in Poland is quite common. Simply tell the waiter/waitress when paying what you are paying for, s/he will readily add up your amounts and present you with a personal total, which you should round up, as explained above.
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 60 14. Contacts and Data Sources
Poland Market and Trade Profile | April 2012 61 visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritainGroup LinkedIn visitbritain.org/research | Follow us on Twitter: @VisitBritainBiz | VisitBritain Group LinkedIn 14. Contacts and Data Sources VisitBritain Contacts VisitBritain Warsaw British Council, Al. Jerozolimskie 59, 00-697 Warsaw T/F: +48 226955925 Joanna Sosnowska Market Representative E: Joanna.Sosnowska@visitbritain.org T: +48 226955925 Contacting other Organisations British Embassy Ambasada Brytyjska ul. Kawalerii 12 00-468 Warszawa T: 0048 22 311 00 00 F: 0048 22 311 03 13 W: www.ukinpoland.fco.gov.uk UK Trade and Investment ul. Kawalerii 12 00-468 Warszawa T: 0048 22 311 00 00 F: 0048 22 311 03 13 W: www.ukti.gov.uk British Council Al. Jerozolimskie 59 00-697 Warsaw T/F: +48 226955925 W: www.britishcouncil.org/pl/poland.htm Data Sources Table 14.1 Data Sources Source Charts/Tables United Nations World Tourism Organisation Table S1 (part) Office for National Statistics, International Passenger Survey Table S2, 2.1, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 10.1, Chart S1, S2, S3, 5.5, 5.6, 8.1, 8.2, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.4, 9.5, 9.6, 9.7, 9.8, 9.9, 9.10, 9.11, 9.12, 9.13, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5, 10.6. 11.1, 11.2, 11.3, 11.4, 11.5, 11.6, 11.7, 11.8, 12.1 European Commission Survey on the Attitudes of Europeans towards Tourism Chart 4.1, 4.4, 4.5, 5.3, 5.4 Oxford Economics Table 2.2, 3.2 (part) International Monetary Fund Table 3.2 (part) US Census Bureau Table 3.1, Chart 3.2 World-Gazetteer.com Chart 3.1 Bank of England Chart 3.3 Anholt GfK Nations Brand Index Chart 4.2, 4.3, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 6.7, 6.9, 6.10, Table 6.1 Anholt GMI Nations Brand Index (2007) Chart 5.2, 6.8 CIA Factbook Chart 5.1 Tourism Economics Table S1 (part), 7.1, Chart 7.1, 7.2, 7.3 Capstats.com Table S3, Chart 8.3, 8.4, 8.5, 8.6 Civil Aviation Authority Departing Passenger Survey 2010 Chart 10.7, 10.8
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