Kraków Network 2.0 meeting – premium offer

At the beginning of the event, participants were welcomed by Aleksandra Pytlik, Director of Sales and Service at the ICE Kraków Congress Center, who also represented the operator of the Krakow City Development Agency. She reminded everyone that the Kraków Network series has been running for ten years, and this year's meeting was its 33rd edition organized at ICE Kraków. The director emphasized the role of the Congress Center and Congress Office team in preparing the event and encouraged guests to actively participate in panels, discussions, and networking with new Network members.

The official opening was performed by Natalia Kulec-Greń, Director of the Tourism Department, and Małgorzata Przygórska-Skowron, Head of the Congress Office, who acted as the meeting moderator. It was emphasized that the Kraków Network 2.0 initiative remains an important forum for the exchange of knowledge and experience, addressing issues that are key not only for tourism but also for the strategic development of the city. Natalia Kulec-Greń noted that the city treats quality as a priority because it sets the direction for further development, integrating science, business, innovation, and the satisfaction of residents and visitors.

As part of the official part of the event, Radosław Kociumbas, President of the Krakow Chamber of Tourism, announced the opening of applications for the ODYS 2025 competition, organized since 1995, aimed at people providing products and services in the broadly understood tourism industry, with the aim of building and presenting the brand.

Vienna as a Benchmark and Premium Product

The substantive part was opened by Rafał Romanowski, editor-in-chief of Re:view magazine, who presented Vienna as a benchmark for Krakow, which was intended to provoke reflection on Krakow's premium offer.

Romanowski, who has been working with the Vienna brand for several years, emphasized that the city is actively pursuing transformation, because relying solely on its imperial and noble image and cultural and historical heritage is a road to nowhere in the digital age.

The key features of Vienna's premium product are:

1. A well-maintained and clean urban fabric: The city has been undergoing renovation for years. Funds are also directed to peripheral districts (e.g., Favoriten) so that they do not give the impression of neglect or lack of supervision.

2. Accessibility and lack of elitism: The premium sphere is “practically at your fingertips.” Places such as the Hofburg palace complex are open, creating an ecosystem within the old town that pedestrians can freely pass through.

3. Two complementary development tracks: Vienna consistently combines its historical and cultural heritage with its modern face, promoting itself as a vibrant hub for new technologies (e.g., the Vienna Up conference). It focuses on high-end sectors such as biotech rather than outsourcing.

4. The entire city as a premium product: Even unusual buildings, such as Hundertwasser's waste incineration plant, are open to tourists and have become icons of the city. Vienna's cafés are promoted as “the world's oldest co-working spaces.”

Vienna regularly ranks high in The Economist's Most Reliable City rankings, which reflects a global consensus. Romanowski emphasized that Vienna is actively seeking cooperation and looking to Krakow, learning from its successes.

Case Studies: Conferences Building the Brand of Krakow

Two examples of top, cyclical conferences that have been successfully held in Krakow for years were presented:

1. MIRCIM (McMaster International Review Conference of Internal Medicine): Piotr Gajewski, MD, PhD, co-author of the Szczeklik Internal Medicine textbook, presented the conference as one of the most prestigious educational events in medicine in the world.

• The event is comparable or superior in status to the World Congress of Internal Medicine, bringing together around 100 professors from around 70 countries each year.
• The event includes the final of the World Competition for Young Talents and a three-day conference on artificial intelligence in medicine organized with the University of Oxford.
• Success and Loyalty: Keeping the conference in Krakow, despite competitive offers (e.g., from Dubai or Paris), is based on the uniqueness of the event, close international contacts, and the exceptional treatment of speakers and participants (the so-called Red Carpet Treatment). Speakers work for the reimbursement of economy class flight and accommodation costs, but feel that they are treated in a special way.
• Local Support: An event of this scale requires a huge budget, which could not be covered without the key support of the City Council and the Marshal's Office.

2. Invest Cuffs Congress: Dariusz Starowicz (CEO of StarComp and the Invest Cuffs Foundation) spoke about the congress, which in 2025 attracted over 8,000 participants and 250 speakers.

• Krakow as a premium destination: According to Starowicz, Krakow is a premium city because it offers attractions outside of events (restaurants, pubs, cafes) that are key to networking.
• Development Plans (Invest Week): Due to the exhaustion of the capacity of the ICE Krakow Congress Center, the Invest Cuffs Foundation plans to expand the event to Invest Week (a whole week of events and side events), following the example of Vienna and Paris.
• Call for Synergy: He called for synergy not only with the City Council, but above all with local businesses (cafes, restaurants) to take advantage of the presence of 8,000 participants. He also announced measures aimed at attracting foreign business, including from Dubai.

Discussion Panel

The panel, moderated by Rafał Stanowski (Stradom House Autograph Collection), focused on whether Krakow is ready to become a premium destination. Stanowski defined premium as higher quality for a higher price, and luxury as quality above price, pointing out that Krakow is aiming for the former.

Key points of the panel:

• Radosław Fronc, President of the MSHG Group (owner of renowned restaurants and the five-star Balthazar Hotel), emphasized moderate optimism about Krakow's readiness to be a premium destination. He noted that the city has potential, but is still “in process” – there is a lack of diagnosis of systemic problems, high competence in process management, and effective execution of resolutions, such as the Cultural Park, which leads to visual chaos in the city center.

President Fronc pointed to budget constraints on promotion and called for a “non-obvious initiative” involving local entrepreneurs in improving the quality of the city's ecosystem. He also emphasized the role of ambassadors: participants in prestigious congresses (e.g., MIRCIM, Invest Cuffs), who could promote Krakow around the world thanks to high-quality service and an attractive offer.

In his opinion, the key problem is the lack of sensitivity and a systematic approach that would enable Krakow to realize its aspirations as a premium city, even though the city has natural advantages and potential for development in this segment.

Radosław Fronc stated that Krakow has the attributes to be a premium brand (in process), but lacks problem diagnosis and high competence in process management. He criticized the lack of enforcement of the resolution on the cultural park, which leads to low aesthetic quality in the city center (e.g., graffiti-covered tenement houses, advertisements on umbrellas), undermining efforts to build a premium image.

• Łukasz Maźnica from the Hearts and Heads Agency presented the results of qualitative research on short-term tourism in Krakow, describing the city with the metaphor “Luna Park” – many attractions close to each other, which tourists quickly “check off,” making the experience of Krakow flat and neutral. He pointed out that premium guests tend to come despite the premium offer, and that the greatest excitement is generated by trips outside the city, e.g., to Auschwitz or Wieliczka.

Maźnica also highlighted the significant budgetary disparity between Krakow and Vienna or Prague in terms of tourism promotion – Krakow spends PLN 10 million annually, while its competitors have several dozen times more, partly thanks to a tourist tax, which is lacking in Poland. He added that tourist traffic in Krakow is mainly driven by domestic tourists, while foreign tourists arrive in smaller numbers and attach greater importance to preparing and planning their visits.

• Lidia Wandas-Wilczura from 5 EVENTS emphasized the importance of the wedding industry as a premium segment in tourism. She pointed out that the organization of weddings is based on emotions and unforgettable experiences that encourage guests to return to Krakow, in accordance with the spirit of the place (genius loci).

Lidia emphasized that Krakow stands out in Poland as a wedding destination, actively promoted abroad, which attracts guests from the US and Australia, among others. She pointed to specific premium venues, such as restaurants (including Fiorentina Radosława Fronca) and the Wieliczka Salt Mine, which can be attractions for several days.

The expert also noted the enormous progress made by the city and local entrepreneurs over the past 16 years, as well as Krakow's positive image as a safe, clean, and affordable destination, emphasizing that the city already has a strong brand that should be fully exploited in wedding tourism.

• Tomasz Schweda emphasized that the premium and luxury market is developing in two directions: classic Old Luxury, represented by top hotels offering traditional luxury, and modern Lifestyle, based on creating an ecosystem tailored to the lifestyle of guests.

He pointed out that while Old Luxury in Krakow already has many representatives, the Lifestyle segment is still developing. A good example is Poland's first lifestyle hotel, Tribe Krakow Old Town, which opened in July 2025 and whose success demonstrates the potential of this segment.

Szweda also highlighted the challenges: the lack of a comprehensive premium ecosystem, especially for customers from the Persian Gulf, who generate high revenues but currently have limited flight connections and VIP services. Conclusion: Krakow has an opportunity to develop in the Lifestyle segment, but systemic changes are needed throughout the urban ecosystem to attract and retain the wealthiest guests.

• Filip Płodzień, Leisure MICE Marketing Director at the Warsaw Tourist Organization and a graduate of the Jagiellonian University, compared the development of Warsaw and Krakow from a 15-year perspective. He emphasized that both cities have undergone a significant transformation towards sustainable and harmonious development, which is crucial for premium and luxury products.

He pointed out that Warsaw's appeal as a premium destination stems, among other things, from investments in urban space – tidying up streets, greenery, bike paths, and the development of the New Center – which allows the city to effectively promote its hotels, restaurants, and safety.

Płodzień noted that the presence of global luxury brands such as Bulgari and Hermes testifies to the strength of the premium market and is the result of thorough research and customer interest. He added that for luxury/premium guests, the shopping offer often outweighs the historical values of the city, and high-quality hotels and guest service are key to building a positive experience.

• Przemysław Walaszczyk, Director at the Krakow City Hall, emphasized that building Krakow's premium brand is a process that requires the cooperation of many stakeholders. He noted that a premium offer is not only about luxury hotels, but above all about a complete experience – from the moment a tourist arrives, through the urban space, sustainable development, and gastronomic and commercial offerings.

Walaszczyk pointed to municipal investments, such as the metro concept and the Pact for Krakow's Housing Estates, as catalysts for development and improvement of the quality of life of residents, which indirectly support the image of the city as a metropolis attractive for premium tourism. He emphasized the need to break out of “information bubbles” and encouraged cooperation between the tourism industry and the city in order to effectively implement projects and improve the quality of Krakow’s ecosystem.

In his opinion, the city is consciously trying to raise standards and support the premium segment, but this requires public-private partnerships and a joint strategy with entrepreneurs.

• Locality and Craftsmanship: Aleksandra Shoen-Żmijowa, a participant in the meeting, and the panel moderator emphasized that premium customers are looking for authentic locals, unique experiences, and local brands/designers (e.g., Sandra Stachura's scarves, Miss Behave), and not just global chains, which is an opportunity to be seized.

• Premium Air Connections: Rafał Romanowski announced that Etihad Airways (one of the three largest flagship carriers in the Persian Gulf) will begin flying to Krakow next year, which is a step towards adapting the ecosystem to luxury customers.

• Problems with Information Infrastructure and Currency Exchange Offices: Participants from the audience and Mr. Jaskóła (congress ambassador) pointed out the lack of tourist information points at the train station and airport, as well as speculative exchange rates at currency exchange offices, where the difference between buying and selling rates is 25-30%.

Conclusion and Call to Action

Radosław Fronc and other experts appealed to the city for an “unobvious initiative” that would activate entrepreneurs to co-finance and improve the quality of the ecosystem. Fronc emphasized that the city should take advantage of visitors who have already come here (e.g., MIRCIM participants) to make them ambassadors recommending Krakow, which requires a “navigation system” and a “department” with high competences.

Małgorzata Przygórska-Skowron and Natalia Kulec-Greń agreed that the city cannot “do everything” and encouraged entrepreneurs to join the Local Tourist Organization (LOT) – the Tourist Organization Association of the Royal Capital City of Krakow, in order to communicate their needs loudly and support the local government.

At the end, participants were invited to a quick workshop round with flipcharts, the aim of which was to create a map of premium locations.