The Krakow sustainable tourism strategy

We offer sustainable solutions for the meeting industry by including ecological, social, economic and cultural aspects of events held in Krakow. We work towards a climate-neutral city that cares for the environment and has a well-developed circular economy.

Our actions are grounded in:

– The “Krakow Development Strategy. This is where I want to live. Krakow 2030,” adopted in resolution no. XCIV/2449/18 of the Krakow City Council of 7 February 2018 together with the updated draft of the “Krakow Development Strategy. This is where I want to live. Krakow 2030/2050 (with an outlook until 2050)”. This document, which is highly significant for Krakow, lists the development of the meeting industry and sustainable tourism as a course of action in Strategic Objective 2: “Krakow 2030/2050 – a metropolis with international network connections, striving for climate and environmental neutrality, with a resilient, circular economy based on knowledge and environmentally friendly mobility.”

– The “Krakow sustainable tourism policy for the years 2021-2028,” which states that tourism is one of the recommended and strategic directions of development for Krakow. We advocate harmonious tourism development with respect for and dialogue with the industry, international associations and residents, promoting the cultural wealth of the city and the region.

– Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

We follow a conscious management approach:

• We organise industry and employee training in sustainable tourism.
• We communicate actions taken by the local industry with ESG in mind.
• We cooperate with international associations, e.g. ICCA, City DNA, GDS Index.
• We keep a bank of legacy projects to support organisers of congresses interested in cooperation.
• We take part in various projects, e.g. MINEV (Waste MINimization in Large Events) or Krakow as a Centre for Sustainable Business Tourism.
• We cooperate with academic and business communities.
• Our marketing actions incorporate sustainable development goals. We follow the new brand positioning and communication strategy: “Know-How, City, Business,” which serves as a reference for the integrated approach to sustainable development transforming Krakow into a destination in which development goes together with respect for the environment and local culture.

Our pro-climate actions:

• Our goal is to reduce CO2 emissions, conserve water, efficiently manage waste during events organised in Krakow.
• We promote green solutions during congresses organised in Krakow.
• We promote and support the use of public transportation during events.

We embrace social aspects:

• We support the individual development of employees, provide a safe working environment, respect employees’ rights, offer training and programmes supporting physical activity.
• We cooperate with local tourism service providers, promote local tourism attractions, keep a system of recommendations of local PCO businesses and Incentive Travel Organisers.
• We promote the culture and heritage of Krakow.
• We cooperate with local communities and cultural organisations.
• We offer internships, apprenticeships and voluntary jobs to students.
• We implement the principles of so-called Green Public Procurement when planning investment projects, purchases and services.
• We recognise and promote principles of diversity, equality and inclusion in building a strong and thriving global meeting industry community.
• Our goal is to ensure that people with special needs have equal access to communication and information.

The Krakow sustainable tourism strategy