For the second consecutive year, the Polish Tourism Organisation is proud to serve as a partner of the Impact’25 Congress – the most prestigious economic and technological event in Central and Eastern Europe, which this year is expected to attract approximately 6,000 participants from across the globe to Poznań.
The Impact’25 Congress in Poznań aims to facilitate an exchange of ideas, perspectives, and experiences among entrepreneurs, representatives of academia, and public administration, while also enabling them to explore innovative concepts and emerging trends in the economy. The Congress will feature sessions, panel discussions, and roundtable meetings.
For the second time, the Tourism track will accompany the Sports Marketing track, with the Polish Tourism Organisation serving as the key content partner.
This development reflects a natural synergy, and the newly expanded “Tourism and Sport Marketing” track acknowledges tourism as a vital and growing sector of Poland’s economy.
The Polish Tourism Organisation will host a session entitled “Poland – More Than You Think”, which will take place within the Tourism and Sport Marketing track on 15 May at 15:35.
The session title refers to the core message of the POT’s promotional campaign “Poland. More than you expected”, which aims to showcase the diversity and richness of Poland’s tourism offer—often surpassing the audience’s initial expectations. The concept was born from the need to encourage international travellers to discover Poland as a fascinating, hospitable country, full of positive surprises.
To support this initiative, we invited internationally recognised athletes to participate in the campaign and enhance its reach and impact with their personal brands.
The upcoming session will explore how sport is being leveraged to promote Poland internationally. Participants include:
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Piotr Borys – Secretary of State at the Ministry of Sport and Tourism
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Rafał Szmytke – President of the Polish Tourism Organisation
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Otylia Jędrzejczak – Olympic gold medallist, world and European champion, and President of the Polish Swimming Association
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Tomasz Sobania – extreme endurance runner, known as “Poland’s Forrest Gump”
Session Moderator:
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Sergiusz Ryczel – sports journalist, presenter, commentator, master of ceremonies, voiceover artist, and translator
“Poland. More than you expected”
The campaign aims to reposition Poland as a dynamic, hospitable, and unexpectedly diverse destination for international travellers.
To enhance visibility and impact, the initiative features prominent athletes such as Kasia Niewiadoma, a world-class cyclist, and Jeremy Sochan, an NBA basketball player, as campaign ambassadors. Their authentic engagement and international appeal help tell the story of Poland’s vibrant tourism offering.
The campaign strategy included three core elements:
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Component A: A multi-country media campaign built around engaging storytelling by Niewiadoma and Sochan, tailored to diverse European audiences.
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Component B: Promotion through major international sporting events, with support from celebrated Polish athletes including Olympic gold medallist Otylia Jędrzejczak.
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Component C: Collaboration with professional sports clubs whose international players promote the Polish regions they represent.
The campaign has significantly strengthened Poland’s tourism brand across Europe, aligning it with energy, excellence, and cultural richness.
It is worth highlighting that sports tourism holds a strong global position. According to a report by Expedia Group, 44% of sports fans travel abroad to attend sporting events, with this figure rising to 56% among those aged 16–34. Sports tourism currently accounts for 10% of global tourism expenditure, and it is forecast to reach USD 1.3 trillion this year. With upcoming events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games in Italy and Los Angeles, the sector continues to grow. Data collected by Expedia Group indicates that travelling to sporting events offers more than just the thrill of competition – it also provides valuable opportunities to strengthen social bonds, which in turn supports mental well-being. This may explain why the majority of respondents went on their most recent sports-related trip with friends (35%), partners (34%), or family (33%).
These findings offer important insights for tourism service providers looking to harness the potential of this dynamic and lucrative market. The research was conducted by Censuswide on a sample of 2,000 individuals who had travelled to sports events over the past 12 months in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Discover more: Impact’25 Poznan, 14-15 May 2025
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