Poland is beginning to re-open to tourists, announcing new policy measures for visitors and organisations within the sector to help restore the tourism sector ahead of prospective border openings.

The country has begun to open up by easing some of the restrictions imposed by lockdown, particularly in the hospitality industry. Detailed guidelines for hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions have been announced by the Ministry of Development and the Polish Tourism Organisation. Hospitality and retail businesses were officially allowed to re-open earlier in May, based on conditions to follow strict regulations.

The country is one of Europe’s lesser-hit nations with under 20,000 cases and under 1000 deaths. This has enabled the country to become one of the earliest to re-open its hospitality industry. The aim is to ensure businesses are well prepared to welcome back both domestic and foreign tourists.

Each business operating in the hospitality industry must adopt limits to the number of individuals staying in a building, both visitors and staff and implement temperature checks before entering a building.

While restaurants remain closed, Polish hotels have been allowed to re-open. Guests can dine only in their rooms (room service deliveries). This also applies to hotel gyms, shared spaces and swimming pools which all remain closed.

“If the situation remains positive, we may be able to open our borders in late June. We would love to welcome back all foreign tourists, particularly those arriving from the UK. Over the last few years, we have noticed a significant growth in the number of Brits visiting Poland,” said Iwona Bialobrzycka, director of the Polish National Tourist Office in London.