After years in the shadow of Mediterranean heavyweights, Poland is emerging as one of Europe’s hottest holiday tickets. Buoyed by record visitor numbers, a strong value-for-money reputation and growing interest in “coolcation” escapes from extreme summer heat in the south, the Central European nation has firmly joined the continent’s mainstream tourism league.

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From Underdog To Top-Tier European Holiday Choice

Poland’s tourism industry has surged since the pandemic, transforming the country from a niche choice into a serious rival to traditional sun-and-sea destinations. Official data show that nearly 37.9 million people used tourist accommodations in Poland in 2023, including about 19 million foreign visitors, a 22 percent jump on the previous year and close to the record set in 2019.

That puts the country firmly back on the global tourism map after the double shock of Covid travel restrictions and initial war-related worries following Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine.

On a worldwide scale, Poland now ranks among the 20 most attractive countries for international visitors. Eurostat figures underline that it is one of a small group of European Union states, alongside Spain, France and Italy, that account for at least 1 percent of all international tourism receipts globally.

In practical terms, that means Poland is no longer seen simply as an emerging or “alternative” destination. Instead it is competing in the same commercial bracket as many long-established holiday favorites.

The momentum has continued into 2024 and 2025. Across the European Union, tourism nights hit an all-time high in 2024, and preliminary data for the first half of 2025 show Poland near the top of the growth table. Overnight stays in Polish tourist accommodation rose by 8.5 percent year on year in the first six months, one of the sharpest increases anywhere in the bloc.

For tour operators and airlines planning routes and capacity, the trend confirms that demand for trips to Poland is not a passing fad but part of a sustained shift eastwards.

Behind the figures is a broader rebalancing in European travel. High prices and summer heatwaves in the south, coupled with improved transport links and marketing in Central and Eastern Europe, are pushing more holidaymakers to look beyond the usual coastal suspects. Poland, with its mix of historic cities, cool Baltic beaches and relatively moderate summer temperatures, has emerged as one of the clearest winners.

Coolcation Capital: Climate Change Rewrites The Summer Map

One of the strongest drivers of Poland’s tourism upswing is a change that is reshaping travel patterns across the continent. As southern Europe endures ever more intense heatwaves, a growing number of visitors are seeking refuge in cooler, more temperate destinations. Travel analysts have dubbed the trend “coolcation” tourism, and Poland features prominently in media coverage of this shift.

The Baltic coast in particular has benefited. Once regarded as a short, family-focused season destination, its breezy resorts are now attracting visitors from Germany, the Netherlands, France and beyond looking for comfortable summer temperatures rather than scorching 40-degree highs.

Warmer seas have subtly lengthened the usable season, without erasing the region’s traditional appeal of pine forests, wide sandy beaches and gently bracing weather.

The coolcation effect is not limited to the coast. Mountain regions around Zakopane and the Tatras are welcoming growing numbers of international visitors in high summer, drawn by hiking, lakes and alpine-style villages that offer relief from urban heat.

Cities like Gdansk and Szczecin, located near water and with reliable sea breezes, are also seeing higher city-break traffic during months that were previously dominated by domestic tourism.

For Poland’s tourism authorities, climate trends represent both an opportunity and a responsibility. On the one hand, a cooler image positions the country as a climate-safe choice within Europe. On the other, officials are increasingly aware that they must manage the influx to avoid simply transferring overtourism pressures from the Mediterranean to new corners of the continent.

City Break Stardom: Warsaw, Krakow And Gdansk Lead The Charge

Poland’s metropolitan centers are playing a starring role in its new profile as a go-to European holiday spot. Warsaw, long perceived by some travelers as a business city rather than a leisure magnet, won the title of European Best Destination 2023 in a pan-European online poll, outpacing classic city-break favorites like Athens and Vienna. The award, widely covered in international travel media, underscored how far the capital’s image has evolved, with high marks for food, culture and safety.

Krakow, the country’s best-known tourist draw, continues to cement its status as a city-break heavyweight. In 2023 it attracted more than 9 million visitors, a staggering figure for a city of under one million residents.

A recent consumer survey in the United Kingdom placed Krakow at the top of European city-break rankings for the fifth consecutive year, highlighting its combination of rich heritage, compact old town and standout value for money. For British travelers, it scored especially strongly on cost, with hotel and restaurant prices significantly undercutting those in Western Europe.

Gdansk and Wroclaw are rapidly climbing the wish lists of international travelers as well. Wroclaw reported more than 6 million tourists in 2024, bolstered by its Instagram-ready old town, thriving food scene and status as a former European Capital of Culture.

Gdansk, meanwhile, has become the natural city gateway to Poland’s Baltic coast, marketed as a three-in-one destination that combines maritime history, modern museums and easy access to seaside resorts like Sopot and Hel.

The pattern is clear: rather than relying on a single flagship city, Poland now offers a network of complementary urban experiences. For visitors, that makes the country well-suited to multi-stop itineraries, with budget airlines, improved rail connections and new highways enabling travelers to combine, for example, a few days in Warsaw with time in Krakow and a coastal finale in Gdansk or the nearby Kashubian lake district.

Value For Money In An Era Of Rising Holiday Costs

Price is another key factor propelling Poland into the front rank of European holiday choices. With inflation and higher energy costs pushing up the price of breaks across the continent, particularly in the eurozone, travelers are scrutinizing their budgets more closely than at any time in the past decade. On this front, Eastern Europe in general and Poland in particular score strongly.

A widely cited city-cost survey by a major British travel money provider for 2025 found that Eastern European capitals dominate the list of best-value weekend getaways. Warsaw placed among the top three cheapest cities in the study, thanks largely to a noticeable drop in hotel rates and competitive prices for food, public transport and cultural attractions. Gdansk and Krakow also ranked within the top tier of affordable picks for British tourists.

Separate consumer research carried out in the United Kingdom highlighted Krakow as the best-value city break in Europe, the only destination in the survey to earn a maximum rating for value.

Low accommodation costs and relatively modest restaurant and bar prices were central to that verdict. For many travelers weighing up where to spend a short escape or a longer holiday, these numbers are persuasive, especially when set against soaring bills in popular Western European capitals.

The strength of the Polish zloty and regional wage levels means that domestic travelers and visitors arriving from wealthier neighboring states can stretch their spending significantly further than in comparable destinations.

This has helped Poland draw repeat visitors; tour operators report that holidaymakers who try Warsaw or Krakow for a weekend are increasingly returning a year or two later to explore the country’s lakes, mountains or coastline.

Beyond The Big-Hitters: Nature, Pilgrimage And Niche Tourism

While city breaks grab headlines, a significant share of Poland’s tourism boom is unfolding far from urban centers. The country offers an unusually wide range of landscapes in a relatively compact area, from the Bieszczady mountains in the southeast to the Masurian lake district, the primeval forests of the northeast and the sandy spits and dunes of the Baltic shore.

This diversity is helping Poland tap into growing demand for outdoor-oriented, slower forms of travel. Hiking, cycling and canoeing trips, often bookended by stays in small guesthouses or agritourism farms, are attracting visitors from across Europe.

Domestic tourism officials highlight regions such as Warmia-Masuria, Podlasie and Lower Silesia as areas with especially strong growth in overnight stays, reflecting this appetite for nature-based holidays.

Religious and cultural tourism is another important pillar. The Jasna Gora sanctuary in Czestochowa remains one of Europe’s most significant Catholic pilgrimage sites, welcoming several million pilgrims annually. In 2023 it recorded around 3.6 million visitors, with an increasing number arriving in organized walking and cycling groups.

These flows complement the steady trickle of faith-based and remembrance travelers visiting destinations such as Wadowice, birth town of Pope John Paul II, and Auschwitz-Birkenau, which continues to attract global visitors despite, and perhaps because of, its deeply sobering character.

Beyond mass-market tourism, Poland is nurturing a portfolio of niche offerings, from spa and wellness stays rooted in traditional sanatorium towns to industrial-heritage trails in former mining regions of Silesia.

Wine tourism, once virtually unknown in the country, is also gaining attention, as vineyards in the southwest and southeast welcome curious oenophiles to tastings and harvest events. Together, these strands help spread visitor spending into lesser-known regions and reduce pressure on the established hotspots.

Managing Success: Overtourism Fears And Policy Debates

Rapid growth brings challenges as well as opportunities, and Poland is wrestling with many of the same dilemmas now familiar in Western European destinations. In Krakow, local politicians and residents have raised concerns about housing affordability and the impact of short-term rentals on historic districts. Visitor crowds in the old town at peak times are prompting calls for better management of group tours and stricter rules on party tourism.

One proposed response is the introduction of a dedicated tourist tax in the most heavily visited cities. Advocates argue that a modest nightly levy, already standard in many Mediterranean and Alpine destinations, would generate funds to maintain heritage sites, enhance public transport and offset pressures on local services. Opponents counter that such a tax could undermine the very price advantage that has drawn so many visitors east in the first place.

At sensitive sites such as Auschwitz-Birkenau, the debate is as much about behavior as numbers. Polish commentators and museum officials have repeatedly criticized inappropriate conduct and social media trends among some visitors, sparking discussions about stricter guidance, educational campaigns and, where necessary, tighter controls. The incident highlights a broader tension facing countries that host both leisure travelers and visitors to solemn memorials within the same tourism ecosystem.

National authorities, meanwhile, are working to balance promotion with sustainability. The Polish Tourism Organization has stepped up efforts to direct travelers to lesser-known regions, using marketing campaigns and itinerary suggestions that highlight second-tier cities and rural areas. The aim is to retain the economic benefits of tourism growth while avoiding the pitfalls that have generated backlash in cities from Barcelona to Dubrovnik.

What Rising Popularity Means For Future Visitors

For prospective travelers, Poland’s new status as a top European holiday choice carries several practical implications. Increased demand has persuaded airlines to expand route networks linking Polish cities with hubs across Europe and the Middle East, improving connectivity from both major and secondary airports.

Rail operators are also adding capacity on cross-border services, particularly to and from Germany and the Czech Republic, making rail-based itineraries more feasible.

At the same time, visitors can expect busier peak seasons in key destinations. City hoteliers in Krakow and Warsaw report higher occupancy rates during spring and early autumn, while accommodation near popular Baltic and mountain resorts can now sell out well in advance for school-holiday periods.

Travel advisers suggest that visitors seeking quieter experiences may wish to consider shoulder-season trips in April, May, September or early October, when weather often remains pleasant but crowds thin.

Despite these changes, Poland retains much of its reputation for accessibility. Visa-free entry arrangements for travelers from most European countries and from North America simplify planning, and a dense network of domestic rail and coach options keeps internal travel relatively straightforward.

English is widely spoken in major cities and tourist hubs, although more adventurous visitors will still find pockets of the country where a phrasebook or translation app remains useful.

Looking ahead, analysts expect Poland’s tourism story to remain a bright one within the broader European picture. With visitor numbers moving steadily towards and in some segments beyond pre-pandemic peaks, and with international awareness higher than ever, the country is likely to feature regularly in best-of-Europe rankings in the coming years.

For travelers willing to “go east,” that means a growing range of itineraries, experiences and price points in a market that is increasingly geared towards international expectations.

FAQ

Q1: Is Poland now considered one of Europe’s main holiday destinations?
Yes. Visitor numbers have rebounded strongly since the pandemic, and international bodies now place Poland among the world’s top 20 tourism countries, with receipts and overnight stays comparable to established European destinations.

Q2: Why has Poland’s popularity increased so quickly in recent years?
A combination of factors is driving growth: rising prices and heatwaves in southern Europe, increased air and rail connectivity, sustained marketing by Polish tourism authorities, strong value for money and high-profile rankings for cities like Warsaw and Krakow.

Q3: Which Polish cities are the most popular with international tourists?
Krakow, Warsaw and Gdansk lead the way, followed by cities such as Wroclaw, Lublin and Poznan. Krakow is a long-time favorite for its medieval old town, while Warsaw has gained recognition as a modern, cultural capital.

Q4: How does Poland compare on price with Western European destinations?
Independent cost surveys consistently place Polish cities among the best-value city breaks in Europe. Hotels, restaurant meals and local transport are generally cheaper than in most Western capitals, which helps visitors stretch their budgets.

Q5: Is Poland a good choice for summer holidays given Europe’s recent heatwaves?
Yes. Poland’s temperate climate and Baltic coastline appeal to travelers seeking milder temperatures. While summers are warmer than in the past, they are typically less extreme than in southern Europe, making the country attractive to “coolcation” travelers.

Q6: Beyond cities, what types of holidays can visitors enjoy in Poland?
Poland offers lake and forest retreats, mountain hiking in the Tatras and other ranges, spa and wellness stays, pilgrimage and heritage travel, rural agritourism and beach holidays along the Baltic Sea, often combined in multi-stop trips.

Q7: Are there concerns about overtourism in Poland’s most visited places?
Yes. Krakow in particular faces pressure on housing and public space in its historic center, and local authorities are debating measures such as tourist taxes and stricter regulation of short-term rentals and party tourism.

Q8: Is it easy to travel around Poland as a foreign visitor?
Generally yes. Major cities are linked by frequent trains and highways, long-distance buses serve smaller towns, and English is widely spoken in tourist areas. Many visitors find it straightforward to move between two or three regions during a single trip.

Q9: How has the war in neighboring Ukraine affected tourism in Poland?
After a brief dip in early 2022 due to safety concerns, visitor numbers recovered rapidly as confidence returned and media coverage highlighted that Poland remained stable and safe. By 2023 and 2024, international arrivals were again approaching record levels.

Q10: When is the best time of year to visit Poland for fewer crowds?
Shoulder seasons such as late April to early June and September to mid-October offer a balance of pleasant weather and thinner crowds. High summer, Christmas markets and major public holidays draw the largest numbers of domestic and foreign tourists.