News from Krakow

The Meetings Industry in Krakow 2023 report is now available – it was a year of intense recovery for Krakow's meetings industry.

The latest data provided directly by venues and businesses in Krakow shows that 4,368 business meetings were held in 2023, an increase by 66.15% compared to the previous year, and more than double the number from 2021. This significant increase occurred primarily in the category of domestic meetings, with the number of international events increasing by 13% compared to 2022.

On September 12-14, the City of Krakow will host the Jubilee Congress of the Polish Medical Society, a prestigious event attended by nearly a thousand Polish medical professionals from all over the world. The Congress is organised by Targi w Krakowie PCO&DMC.

On 2 July 2024, Krakow5020 and the Carbon Footprint Foundation together held a press conference “Reasons for decarbonisation in the meetings industry?” at the ICE Krakow Congress Centre. The conference was a chance to present “Decarbonisation Strategy. From WHY to Offset.” This document was recently prepared by members of the Krakow Network, an initiative that brings together representatives of the MICE industry in Krakow.

The Night Mayor primarily focuses on the night‑time economy in order to meet the needs of residents, but also visitors to our city. Jacek Jordan, a culture historian, educator, entrepreneur and tourist guide with 18 years of experience, has been appointed Night Mayor.

The Mercure Krakow Fabryczna City hotel, a part of Accor Group, has joined a small group of hotels in Poland with Green Key certification. Green Key is an international certification programme for tourist facilities that meet international criteria for environmental responsibility, fostering environmental awareness among consumers and employees, and cooperation with the local community. It is a promise given by hotels to their guests that a particular facility will take steps to protect the environment.

Our city has joined 240 metropolises from 74 countries that recognize the importance of creating a sustainable urban food systems. Joining the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP) will enable, among, others future development of Kraków food policy based on the rules of green procurement and delivery executed by municipal institutions. Creating a city farm for Krakowians is planned to be the next step.   

The host city for the much-anticipated Cities Forum 2025 is Kraków. The European Commission's Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) event, organised by the European Urban Initiative (EUI), is a key platform for dialogue on the urban dimension of EU Cohesion policy. After careful assessment of applications and the vote of the EU Member States during the Directors-General Meeting on Urban Matters, Kraków has been selected to welcome urban stakeholders from all corners of Europe to the 6th edition of the Cities Forum 2025.

20 years of changes, challenges and development – of the city, the local MICE industry and the congress infrastructure. The year 2004 saw the creation of the Krakow Convention Bureau, one of the first such facilities in Poland. With Poland’s access to the European Union, and the first hotel chains making their mark in Krakow, the city understood the potential that tourism offered Krakow and decided to pursue it.

Krakow is looking to fill the position of Night Mayor, who will head the Commission for the Sustainable Night‑Time Economy. Applicants are required to have a university degree, and a minimum of four years of professional experience, including two years in one of the following areas: public administration, culture and heritage, public safety and order, public communications, legal services, entrepreneurship, tourism.

Krakow is safe and green, according to the latest report on the state of the city published and adopted by the City Council of Krakow by a vote of 22 in favor and 14 abstentions. The 2023 report considered the fifteen most important areas of management, reflecting the areas of the city's operations and the lives of its residents. It presents the outcome of the measures taken by the city, and expenditure on the implementation of strategies and plans aimed at developing the city.