Record August and strong last weekends – the second month of vacation slightly improved the mood of the domestic tourism industry. There were 35 percent more reservations in August than in July, and the number of people willing to spend the upcoming weekend by the sea is still growing. However, summing up the season, it is difficult to talk about the financial success of the industry, because stays were very short, on average less than four days – according to the analysis of Nocowanie.pl, conducted a few days before the first bell.
This is quite a surprise. August is usually slightly weaker in accommodation facilities in Poland than July. It happens that – like last season – the number of reservations is evenly distributed between both months.
This year's tourism saw August as a better month than July
– Meanwhile, our data shows that this season August was 35% better than July – notes Agnieszka Rzeszutek, expert at Nocowanie.pl, Poland's largest booking portal. – This result is due to the record August. Great weather and a well-formed calendar encouraged Poles to travel. As many as 21% of all our holiday bookings in Poland concerned the period of August 15-18 – she explains.
Last weekend was also very busy. Zakopane, Karpacz and seaside towns such as Gdańsk and Jastarnia experienced a real siege.
Pier in Jastarnia jastarnia.pl
– The latter, like Karwia, may enjoy considerable occupancy, also this coming weekend. Availability of places has already fallen below 50%, and the number of reservations is still growing – the expert adds.
How much did Poles spend on holiday trips around Poland in 2024?
Returning to the summaries. The hallmark of the passing holidays are short weekend trips.
– The average time spent on vacation was 3.95 days, which is slightly more than last year, when Poles spent 3.71 days on individual domestic trips. However, this is still very short – emphasizes Agnieszka Rzeszutek.
He adds that for owners of accommodation facilities, empty rooms in the middle of the week mean significantly lower revenues. Especially since with a large supply of accommodation, tourists looking for economic solutions could choose from cheaper options. Hence the average value of bookings for the entire country in 2024 amounted to PLN 1,431.85, which is 7 percent less than last year.
– Poles do not want to give up their trips completely, so they shorten them and look for cheaper options. Facilities offering cheap accommodation of a good standard are the least affected by the outflow of tourists – assesses Agnieszka Rzeszutek. – On the other hand, facilities with the highest standard, which invariably attract tourists with more affluent wallets, as well as foreign guests, could also count on occupancy.
This season, the trend of shortening the booking window has also been reinforced. Poles make decisions about choosing a place to stay really at the last minute, literally a few days before departure.
The most popular places in Poland for the 2024 summer holidays
There are no major changes on the list of chosen destinations. The most popular seaside resorts on Nocowanie.pl this summer were: Kołobrzeg, where the average price of accommodation for one person throughout the season was PLN 119, Władysławowo (PLN 105), Karwia (PLN 101), Krynica Morska (PLN 117), Jastrzębia Góra (PLN 112) and Jastarnia (PLN 124).
KolobrzegShutterstock
Among mountain resorts, Zakopane reigns supreme, with an average cost of PLN 104 per person per day. It is followed by Karpacz (PLN 103) and Kudowa Zdrój (PLN 110).
Zakopane marekusz / Shutterstock.com
Main image source: Shutterstock