News from Kraków

For many years, the Mayor of Kraków has advocated the introduction of a tourist tax, i.e. an additional fee added to overnight stays for visitors coming to the city. Such a solution could constitute an additional source of revenue for the city budget. Similar charges operate in many destinations abroad, where they are treated as a form of compensation for tourists’ intensive use of urban infrastructure and as a tool for managing tourism in a more sustainable way. The funds collected are allocated to the maintenance of public spaces and to improving the quality of life for both residents and visitors.

According to a ranking by the travel magazine Time Out, Kraków ranks among the world’s leading cities in terms of access to green spaces. In a study covering 150 cities, the capital of the Małopolska region placed within the top twenty, confirming that urban nature plays an increasingly important role in how cities are perceived by their residents.

MICE tourism (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) is one of the most important and dynamically developing segments of the modern urban economy. In Kraków, this sector has been developing for years in a conscious and sustainable way, bringing benefits not only to the meetings industry itself, but above all to local residents.

The project “Innovations on the Move – Development of SMEs and Investor Support in Kraków and Małopolska” (No. FEMP.01.15-IP.01-0480/25) is co‑financed by the European Union under the European Funds for Małopolska 2021–2027 programme, Priority 1: European Funds for Research and Development and Entrepreneurship, Measure 1.15 – Internationalisation of the Małopolska Economy, including: A. Promotion of the economic offer of Małopolska enterprises and support for exporters in the region, B. Promotion of innovation in the region, C. Investor support in the region, under the European Regional Development Fund.

From May 7–9, 2026, the ICE Kraków Congress Centre will host the 11th edition of the McMaster International Review Conference of Internal Medicine (MIRCIM)—a prestigious international educational conference addressed to physicians and medical students. It is the only event of its kind in Poland and a unique gathering on the international stage.

Working jointly with other European cities, Kraków has contributed to changes in European Union regulations concerning short-term tourist rentals. Short-term rentals have become one of the fastest-growing segments of the tourism economy, while simultaneously posing one of the greatest challenges for contemporary cities.

With over 925,000 participants and 350 events, 2025 proved to be a record-breaking year for TAURON Arena Kraków. Poland’s largest multi-purpose indoor arena generated an impressive PLN 229 million in economic impact for the city, strengthening its position as one of Europe’s key event venues.

For over a year and a half, the Night Mayor has been working to improve residents’ quality of life and to organize the city’s nighttime environment. At the core of his responsibilities are negotiations with venue owners—particularly on minimizing noise and complying with regulations of the Cultural Parks Resolution—as well as interventions in problem areas and participation in night patrols alongside municipal services.

From August 15 to 22, 2026, the ICE Kraków Congress Centre will host the 36th General Assembly and Scientific Symposium of the International Union of Radio Science (URSI GASS 2026)—an organization with a tradition spanning more than one hundred years. This is one of the world’s largest scientific events dedicated to research on electromagnetic waves and their applications in communication, electronics, medicine, radio astronomy, and many other fields. Poland last hosted this event in 1972.

In recent years, the discussion around tourism in Kraków has become highly emotional. Narratives have emerged that reduce the city’s development to the notion of “touristification,” portraying tourism as an inherently negative phenomenon. For the purposes of this discussion, we present facts and statistics that are often overlooked yet critical. Today, the key question is not whether Kraków needs tourism. The real question is how to manage it responsibly so that it strengthens the local economy and improves residents’ quality of life.

Representatives of the City of Kraków – Martyna Lewandowska, Deputy Director of the Tourism Department; Beata Wilk‑Woderska, Head of the Marketing Unit in the Tourism Department; and Magdalena Mardyła, Head of the Accessibility Unit in the Department of Social Policy, Accessibility, and Health – took part in the HORECA HUB event, during which directions for tourism development and the key needs of the gastronomy and hospitality sectors were discussed.

On March 20, the Kraków Data Lab conference, dedicated to the role of data in tourism, took place at the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology. The event was organized by the Kraków Tourism Alliance in cooperation with partners of the SCT HUB project – Codesign the Future of Sustainable Cultural Tourism: the Kraków Festival Office, the Polish Heritage Foundation, Jagiellonian University, the Kraków City Development Agency, and the City of Kraków Municipality.