About Us

The Institute of Tourism, established in 1972 by a resolution of the Council of Ministers, is the Polish research institution conducting interdisciplinary and comprehensive studies of tourism and recreation. Before 2010 it was a state-owned institution and subsequently operated as a private company for two years. Since 2012 the Institute of Tourism has been a separate organisational unit of the Vistula School of Hospitality within the Vistula Group Universities.

During the forty years of operation, the Institute of Tourism has completed a number of studies and research projects for clients such as the Polish government, voivodship authorities, national and regional organisations, banks, investors as well as tourism businesses. In cooperation with the Central Statistical Office (GUS) the Institute has participated in the improvement of the system of tourism statistics in Poland.

For 40 years much has changed in the functioning and orientation of the Institute of Tourism, but its main tasks have remained the same, as laid down in the 1972 resolution of the Council of Ministers. Those were as follows:

The tasks of the Institute shall be the conduct of scientific research related to tourism and recreation as well as participation in the implementation of research results, cooperation for this purpose with other institutions as well as education and professional development of tourism researchers.

The main studies completed by the Institute of Tourism in the past ten years included participation in the government Research Programme on Public Statistics, comprising annual statistical studies and surveys of tourism in Poland. Within the framework of the programme, the Institute of Tourism is responsible for the preparation and submission of data to statistical institutions of the European Union (Eurostat), the World Tourism Organisation (UN WTO), the European Tourism Commission and, through the National Bank of Poland, data for the preparation of Poland’s balance of payments.

Every year, the findings from own surveys and the results of analyses are published in quarterly communications and reports, the most important of which are:

• Inbound Tourism – a comprehensive description and analysis of inbound tourism to Poland as well as of the expenditure of foreign tourists in Poland, prepared on an annual basis in accordance with the EU and UN WTO guidelines,
• Tourism activity of Polish nationals – the main document characterising domestic and outbound tourism of Polish residents.

The impact of tourism on the Polish economy is analysed by the Institute of Tourism using its own methodology of the so-called Tourism Satellite Account, compatible with the European Union guidelines. The results of studies commissioned by the Ministry of Sport and Tourism are regularly published by the Institute. Every year, the Institute carries out quarterly analyses of the effects of tourism on Poland’s balance of payments for the National Bank of Poland and the results are published in both NBP reports and publications of international financial institutions.

The databases gathered for years within the Statistical Research Programme on Public Statistics plus own databases allow to regularly prepare and publish reports on the tourism sector and special materials for the regional and local administration, enterprises, national and foreign financial institutions.

The most significant reports prepared and published by the Institute of Tourism include:

• Aviation market in Poland,
• Hotel market in Poland,
• Tour operator market in Poland,
• Polish tourism by voivodship,
• Polish tourism in cities.

Some of the information gathered by the Institute of Tourism is published at the Polish and English language web pages (www.intur.com.pl).

Every year, using the expertise and skills of its researchers and partners as well as extensive databases, the Institute of Tourism prepares dozens of studies and expert opinions on domestic, inbound and outbound tourist traffic, regional tourism development programmes and tourism investments for various economic operators as well as for national and foreign institutions.

The most important studies prepared in recent years and reflecting the capabilities of the Institute of Tourism include:

• Characteristics of foreign markets. Tourism development trends on foreign markets,
• Water tourism development programme for the Oder basin, Lake Dąbie and Lake Miedwie
• Tourism development and promotion programme identifying local tourism products for three municipalities: Chybie, Skoczów and Strumień
• Active and cultural tourism development programme for the Lubelskie voivodship
• Analysis of tourist traffic in the Małopolskie voivodship
• Preparation of the Feasibility Study for the project West Pomeranian Sailing Route – the system of tourist ports in West Pomerania
• Verification analysis of estimated passenger traffic potential for a planned regional airport in the Podlaskie voivodship
• Analysis and forecast of effects of the project ‘Let Us Promote Poland Together’ on arrivals of foreign tourists in Poland and on foreign exchange receipts in 2007–2017
• New adventure routes in the historic salt mine ‘Wieliczka’ – Analysis of demand for the tourism product and the assessment of adequacy of activities planned to the needs of the target group
• Preparation of a plan for expanding tourism service exports for Holiday Travel Sp. z o.o.
• Innovation evaluation of the investment project of the Mental and Physical Health Centre ‘Fit, Beautiful, Active – at any age’
• Economic and marketing analysis of implementation options of a hotel investment near the Kraków-Balice airport
• Analysis of determinants of the size and nature of demand for hotel services in Warsaw
• Tourism development and promotion strategy in Węgrów and in the municipality of Liw
• Arrivals of foreign nationals in Poland in connection with the organisation of the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship (EURO 2012) in the context of arrivals of foreign tourists in Poland in June 2012
• Survey of the social profile of domestic tourists in Poland (visiting cities and tourist attractions)
• Conducting a survey of inbound tourist traffic in the Małopolskie voivodship in 2011
• Operational programme for tourism promotion for the Wielkopolskie voivodship
• Domestic tourist traffic in the Pomorskie voivodship
• Survey and analysis of pilgrim and tourist traffic for the city of Częstochowa

An interesting experience for the Institute of Tourism was the conduct of two projects in Ukraine. In 2002 the Institute of Tourism was granted financial assistance by the support fund of the Poland-America-Ukraine Cooperation Initiative for the implementation of the project Tourism potential of Western Ukraine. Investment destinations and possibilities, implemented in cooperation with the universities of Kiev and Lvov. Another project subsequently implemented with the Polish Association of Hotels was a series of training courses for hoteliers in Lvov.

The researchers of the Institute of Tourism also participated in the preparation of the government programme Directions for tourism development until 2015 (adopted by the Council of Ministers on 26 September 2008) and of Poland’s marketing strategy for tourism for 2008–2015 (adopted by the Board of the Polish Tourism Organisation on 16 October 2008)

Considering the above-mentioned experience in the implementation of a variety of research and expert tasks, the Institute offers the conduct of projects such as:

1.  Preparation of detailed development strategies for towns, cities, municipalities, poviats, regions, voivodships, as well as of tourism promotion strategies. A professionally prepared development strategy is the basis for preparing operational implementing programmes and offers a perfect opportunity to present development
   plans for the company/town/region to the external environment, to attract interest from investors in the co-financing of development measures or to obtain external funding sources.
2. Assessment of tourist attractiveness of towns, cities and regions in the opinion of tourists on the basis of surveys and in-depth interviews.
3. Preparation of business plans, financial studies and investment feasibility studies. We adapt the form and scope of investment studies to the individual needs of the client and to the purposes of such studies, therefore we can also prepare support studies.
4. Assessments of investment and development projects, in financial terms as well as with regard to innovation evaluation and funding possibilities.
5. Analyses and forecasts of the domestic and international tourism markets. The Institute offers analyses of tourism markets of selected countries as well as analyses of the Polish tourism market for the needs of foreign clients.