POLAND TOURISM ADMINISTRATIVE AND TERRITORIAL ADMINISTRATION

Since 2007 tourism is within the scope of competence of the Minister of Sport and Tourism.  Tourism related issues are handled by Department of Tourism. Ministry responsible for tourism cooperate with Marshals for the realization of  tasks defined in the Act on Tourism Services of 29 August 1997.

On the regional level - Marshals are responsible for realisation and implementation of tasks ordered in the framework of governmental administration, especially tasks defined in the Act on Tourism Services of 29 August 1997.

National level

The Minister of Sport and Tourism as “minister in charge of tourism”, is responsible for:

1. preparation of system solutions that stimulate tourism development and an increase of national tourist product;
2. elaboration and monitoring of programmes in terms of tourism implementation;
3. conducting affairs related to the country land management in terms of tourism and recreation;
4. conducting of affairs connected with the act on tourism services ‘implementation’;
5. conducting of the Central Register of Tour Operators and Tourism Retailers;
6. assessment of  sector of tourist services functioning;
7. taking up activities aiming on an increase of the Polish tourist offer competition;
8. taking up activities aiming on protection of tourist services’ consumers;
9. running affairs connected with a statistics reporting in tourism;
10. running affairs connected with gaining of foreign and national financial means dedicated to tourism development;
11. running of affairs resulting from Minister’s supervision over Polish Tourist Organisation.

 Regional level

 In Poland the primary role in tourism development is played by the local self-government (commune, district, marshals). Their competences included two different group of tasks:

1. all public affairs of a local or regional levels which are not reserved by the law for other entities (so called own tasks);
2. performance of tasks ordered in the framework of governmental administration (so called commissioned tasks).

 In the framework of this second group of tasks marshal are responsible for an implementation of the Act on Tourism Services of 29 August 1997, especially for:

1.  conducting the Register of tour operators and tourism retailers for running a business based on organisation of tourist events or performing - upon the client’s request - factual and legal operations related to concluding contracts for rendering tourism services;
2. conducting of control of economic activity of tour operators and tourism retailers in terms of : a) fulfilling by them requirements necessary to gaining a registration to the Register of tour operators and tourism retailers, b) compliance of the pursued activity with the obtained entry in the Register, c) obeying of conditions of economic activity '‘ performance, defined by the legal regulations;
3. conducting of the Register of Training Course Organizers for Candidates for Tourist Guides and Tour Managers
4. control of the Training Course Organizers for Candidates for Tourist Guides and Tour Managers
5. issuing the licences to tourist guides and couriers
6. control of tourist guides and tour managers;
7. appointing of examination commissions, verifying knowledge of foreign languages by tourist guides and tour managers.
8. classification of accommodation facilities into particular types and categories, control of accommodation facilities
9. conducting of the register of accommodation

 Apart from governing tourism issues, each region has its own Regional Tourist Organisations (RTO) in charge of tourism promotion in and outside of Poland.

Local level

Competencies of a commune (gmina) , as local self-government units ,,cover all public affairs of a local importance, not reserved by the law for other entities”. In particular tasks of commune include fulfilling of collective needs of a community. There are so called “own” tasks of a commune, to which belong such matters as: infrastructure development, ensuring of safety, or environmental matters.

The second function of a commune is performance of tasks ordered in the framework of governmental administration (so called commissioned tasks). Communes receive financial means from the state budget for their implementation. The Act on Tourism Services gave to communes an implementation of following tasks in the framework of governmental administration:

1. running of camp sites register, and other facilities in which accommodation services were provided;
2. inspecting, within their territorial jurisdictions, all accommodation facilities and other facilities in which accommodation services were provided;
3. informing bodies conducting registers of accommodation facilities on infringements noticed;
4. giving an order of suspension of services performance in accommodation facilities, camps sites, and private apartments by the time of infringements removal.

Rights mentioned above give to bodies of commune a possibility of control, and the same – direct influence on improvement of quality of hotel services offered on their area.

Tourism promotion

The promotion of tourism in Poland is conducted:

• At the central level by the Polish Tourist Organisation (PTO)
• At the regional level by Regional Tourist Organisations (RTOs)
• At the local level by Local Tourist Organisations (LTOs)

The main objectives of the Polish Tourist Organisation are:

1. To promote Poland as a country attractive for tourism;
2. To provide the operation and development of a Polish system of tourist information, both nationally and internationally;
3. To initiate, support and evaluate the plans of development and modernization of the tourist infrastructure.

The Ministry of Sport and Tourism co-operates with:

• governmental administration;
• associations of business companies (including in particular Polish Chamber of Tourism, Chamber of Tourism of the Republic of Poland, Polish Tour Operators Association, Polish National Association of Tourist Agents, Chamber of Commerce of Polish Hotel Industry, Polish Chamber of Hotel Industry, Polish Chamber of Youth Tourism, "Polish Resorts" Chamber of Commerce, and National Council of Chambers of Tourism in Poland);
• universities, enterprises carrying out education activities and experts;
• non-governmental organisations (including in particular Polish Tourist Country-Lovers Society, Polish Youth Hostels Association, Polish Camping and Caravanning Federation, Polish Federation for Rural Tourism - Gospodarstwa Gościnne, Polish Hotel Trade and Tourism Association, The Conferences and Congresses in Poland Association, Association of Polish Spa Communities).

The main ways and areas of cooperation with those stakeholders are: public consultations; joint preparation of events like conferences, workshops; exchange of statistical data and information on tourism; joint actions in the area of improvement of the quality of tourism jobs. For example, Ministry of Sport and Tourism consults with those organisations projects of legislation affecting directly or indirectly tourism areas and stakeholders. Ministry organises meetings and discussions on the various vital topics in tourism (like the revision of the directive on package travel).