For three days, the international group of participants discussed the opportunities and possibilities offered by sport and tourism. Zakopane hosted, among others, ministers and deputy ministers responsible for sport and for tourism from Bulgaria, Montenegro and Kosovo, the president and secretary general of the International University Sports Federation, as well as Hasan Arat, European Olympic Committees Executive Committee member responsible for the European Games.

Two announcements of great importance for the world of sport

During the congress, two announcements very important for the world of sport were made. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki together with Minister of Sport and Tourism Kamil Bortniczuk, President of the Polish Volleyball Federation Sebastian Świderski and captain of the Polish national volleyball team Bartosz Kurek announced that Poland will host the 2027 Volleyball World Championships.

Polish volleyball is on the way to registering its trademark as a quality certificate. For years, everything in Polish volleyball has been a synonym of top quality. We, as state authorities, are trying to keep up and create conditions to further support the development of this beautiful sport. All that is good in volleyball is associated with Poland. Thus, others should have an opportunity to learn from us how to organize sports events. The world’s best volleyball fans, Polish fans deserve the possibility to watch their heroes locally as often as possible, to support them and help them achieve further sporting successes of which so many have recently been achieved by our national men’s and women’s teams,

- said Minister Kamil Bortniczuk who accompanied Polish President Andrzej Duda during the announcement of another important decision.

It is our ambition and intention to seek the hosting by Poland of the Summer Olympic Games in 2036,

– announced President Duda.

We hope that our country will be selected for the event. We have demonstrated over recent years that we are an efficient and proven host of international sports events. We organized the Third European Games Kraków-Małopolska 2023. We passed the test - we hosted 7,000 athletes for whom we prepared top-class sports facilities as well as accommodation. We have also hosted other events at the world championships, European championships and World Cup levels. Only last year there were 74 such events organised by us, and this year we will beat the record with as many as 86 events. All this builds the image of our country as a reliable partner,

- pointed out Minister Kamil Bortniczuk.

Poland - a proven host of sports events

During the congress, five stages were used for panel discussions on the prospects for the development of sport and tourism in the context of their popularization and commercialization as well as new technologies. There were also geopolitical discussions in the context of the war in Ukraine and the hosting of major events.

For decades, sport has been used by totalitarian regimes such as Putin's Russia or, formerly, the Soviet Union for propaganda and image improvement. We want to consider how to prevent this and, first of all, how to make sport a tool for promoting values that are associated with sport on a daily basis and that are common for people. I mean, in particular, the respect for human rights and the right to one's sovereignty, which, after all, is the essence of sports competition under a national flag,

– said Minister Bortniczuk.

Poland has been strongly engaged in the campaign aimed at excluding Russians and Belarusians from international sports competitions after the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We have also shown that such competitions can be held without Russian and Belarusian national teams. The best example was the European Games - a great celebration of sport without the teams of the aggressor countries that pose a threat to their neighbours and to global security as such,

– he added.

During the panel entitled “Sports Diplomacy” Minister Bortniczuk commented on UEFA’s decision accepting the participation of Russia’s U-17 football team in the competitions.

Last year we opposed Russia’s participation in the World Cup play-offs in Qatar, and England joined us. Now, the English have been the first ones to oppose Russia’s participation and we have taken the same stand. UEFA’s decision is scandalous as such policy of small steps leaves the door half-open to Russian athletes. And to achieve this, young people, that is the under-17 national teams, are used. Yet, youth is a group with regard to whom the internationally adopted rules and standards should be followed most strictly. After all, we are speaking of young people whose personalities are still at the development stage. Making the sports world used to the process of Russians returning to sporting competition - although nothing has changed in the context of the war in Ukraine - is scandalous. I am glad that both England and Poland have found the courage to oppose it. I believe that we will be followed by the civilized world,

- emphasized Minister Bortniczuk.

The congress, a year after its inauguration, has become a truly international gathering. According to Minister Bortniczuk, this is a result of Poland’s growing position in the world of sport, in particular after the European Games.

Thanks to the event, we have become a leader in Europe, especially in Central Europe, when it comes to hosting major sports events. We can see, first of all, a clearly increasing interest in our know-how in countries that are considering the hosting of similar events,

– underlined Minister Kamil Bortniczuk.

The summary of the Games was only one of the topics highlighted by the hosts. This year, particular attention was paid to the extensive thematic block devoted to new technologies. Contemporary sport is a field for development of robotics or artificial intelligence. This applies to every discipline of sport as well as sports medicine. Today, the sports community across the world holds discussions on whether e-sports should be treated in the same way as traditional sports and on how to ensure that e-sports are safe and healthy, especially for young people.

The subject of e-sports cannot be avoided. We, as the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, want to promote sport in a form that contributes to overall development and fitness of those who practice it. How to do it best was one of the topics discussed in Zakopane,

– said Minister Bortniczuk commenting on the subject.

On the first day, the Małopolska Region’s Sports Gala was held, and the second day ended with the Sports Ambassadors Gala with the participation of President of Poland Andrzej Duda.

We have adopted very ambitious goals to achieve. We need to work wisely throughout the time until the Olympic Games that we will be seeking to host. Sport is extremely important and it significantly contributes to Poles’ education. It builds strong, efficient and wise citizens. I can see and understand the needs of Polish sports. Therefore, we will continue to support sports federations, associations, clubs and local governments, among others through a sports infrastructure modernization programme called Olimpia, a reform of the #team100 sports grants programme and a number of other initiatives. Let me end with a request: let’s do it together because together, we create Polish sport,

- said Minister Kamil Bortniczuk during the gala, referring to the future of Polish sport.

The World Tourism Day

27 September is a World Tourism Day - a special day devoted to tourists and all those engaged in tourism professionally and otherwise. This year, the leading theme was “Tourism and Green Investments”.

During the Congress we held expert discussions on current topics related e.g. to sustainable tourism and increasingly popular culinary tourism as a gateway to effective promotion of regions,

– said Andrzej Gut-Mostowy, Prime Minister’s plenipotentiary for the Polish brand promotion.

Tourism as a sector of economy has an increasing impact on GDP. The development of tourism is influenced by a number of factors such as civilizational development, growing purchasing power of the population and transport accessibility that affects tourist attractiveness of regions, underlined Minister Gut-Mostowy.

In addition to natural, historical and cultural values it is transport accessibility that often determines tourists’ decisions to choose a given destination.

Third Polish-Bulgarian expert meeting on tourism

In recent years, the cooperation between Poland and Bulgaria has intensified. The expert meeting on tourism was an opportunity to exchange experience and discuss topics such as scientific cooperation and innovative solutions as a factor of importance for the whole tourism sector, alternative forms of tourism such as achievement tourism or health and spa tourism.

Are innovations necessary, or are they only a factor that contributes to success and competitive advantage in the tourism market? What are the innovations that contribute most? Answers to these questions were sought by experts in areas that make up the tourism sector.

Tourism and sport are areas that increasingly often link with each other building a solid foundation for the development of both industries. Spectacular sporting events, such as this year’s Third European Games Kraków-Małopolska, have demonstrated that promotion through sport brings tangible benefits. This year’s edition of the congress is expected to result in the development of many new solutions and opportunities in this regard.