TOUR SALON – 2021 edition summary

Nearly 100 exhibitors participated in this year’s edition of TOUR SALON and the accompanying Travel Festival “Traces of Dreams.” A strong emphasis was placed on domestic tourism, and the exhibitors and partners of the fair, including representatives of regions  and tourist organisations, proved that Poland is a country with a lot to offer  at any time of the year.

An exhibition full of travel inspirations

This year, TOUR SALON presented to the fair visitors 11 regions which discovered places worth visiting also “out of season.” You could get  acquainted with the offer of domestic city breaks − their tourist advantages were presented, among others, by such cities as Wrocław, Gdańsk, Poznań, Olsztyn, Opole, Giżycko, Lublin, Santok. There were also interesting proposals for hikers, as well as enthusiasts of travelling along water and bicycle routes. The following carriers were also present: Ławica Airport and Polregio, as well as travel agencies and organisers of expeditions.

What’s more, the CARAVANS SALON POLAND fair was held together with TOUR SALON,  and visitors could also see this exhibition under one ticket, which featured nearly 250 motorhomes and caravans, including 20 Polish premieres of models for 2022. So everyone has found something for themselves, both those who travel by their own means of transport: by car or motorhomes, as well as those who are ready for long journeys  offered by air carriers.

TOUR SALON the arena of international events

The official opening of TOUR SALON and CARAVANS SALON took place on the first day of the fair and was combined with the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Ministry of Development and Technology and the Ministry of Tourism of Bulgaria. On the Polish side, it was signed by Andrzej Gut-Mostowy, secretary of state in the Ministry of Development and Technology, plenipotentiary of the Prime Minister for the Promotion of the Polish Brand. Bulgaria was represented by the Minister of Tourism, Stela Baltova, who emphasised that Bulgaria is famous for its nature and biodiversity, and despite the pandemic, Bulgaria offers tourists (also  from Poland) famous winter resorts, beautiful beaches and resorts.

This year Bulgaria made a unique appearance at TOUR SALON. On  Friday, September 24, representatives of the Bulgarian Embassy in Poland presented Bulgaria’s tourist opportunities to the fair guests, representing the tourism industry and industry media, emphasising that it is an attractive tourist destination and, above all, safe in times of a pandemic.

Adventure, I’m coming...

Undoubtedly, these words sounded in the minds of visitors after listening to the lectures that took place on the stage of TOUR SALON and CARAVANS SALON and in hall 11 during the Traces of Dreams Travel Festival accompanying the fair.

This year, the main stage featured, among others: Łukasz Supergan, who took the listeners on a winter expedition in the mountains of Poland, Bartek Szaro, who showed that Poland also impresses from the  level of a kayak, and Marcin Korzonek, who reported on his project Kross The Record 2020, which was a lonely trip through the Atacama Desert in Chile and an attempt to break the world record for the height that a cyclist rode. The speech by Paulina and Michał Mikołajczak, the authors of the Addicted2Travel blog, who decided to share their experiences from the expeditions of their relatives  around Wielkopolska, which they take with children, thus developing their curiosity about the world, was also very popular.  On the route of their “journey” there were, among others Wielkopolska dunes, moors, observation towers, nature trails, castles and palaces.

Motorhome tourism was also present on the fair stage. This was due to the presence of YouTubers from the Podróżovanie and Foxes in Eden channels, who show their fans the highlights and shadows of life in the #vanlife style on a daily basis. The team of Calluna Trip told about travelling by the VW T2 (the so-called Cucumber), and editor Bartłomiej Ryś explained the backstage of journalistic work while caravanning.

Parallel to the presentation on the fair stage, the 9th edition of the Traces of Dreams Travel Festival and the Golden Trace competition were held. This year, the organisers of the event received over 80 applications, of which 16 were selected (3 in the Poland category and 13 in the World category). During the Festival, you could listen to these  16 presentations, and they were judged by the jury composed of: Jaśmina Labus, Katarzyna Jadaluk, Jakub Rybicki, Dawid Siuda (Decathlon), Ryszard Jończyk (Polish Tourist Organisation).

The winners of this year’s edition were:

1st place in the Poland category

Wojciech Jachowski − You don’t have to travel − for an original presentation and a fresh look, amazing contact with the audience and showing that there is no need to travel and that the adventure can wait right on the doorstep of your own home.

1st place in the World category

Ola Synowiec and Arek Winiatorski ”On the wayside of the Americas. On foot from Panama to Canada” − for a beautiful story told in a loving way, showing a journey full of good  and bad adventures, for drawing attention to the ethical elements of travel and a responsible way of travelling, for a presentation full of understanding and respect for other people, for high quality visual presentation.

You can find out about all the winners at: sladamimarzen.pl.

Family attractions, travelling with taste

During TOUR SALON, there were plenty of attractions for families with children. “Together with  our exhibitors, we try to make the exhibition attractive also for the youngest travellers.  This year, we were strongly supported in this by, among others the city of Wrocław, which, together  with Hydropolis and Kolejkowo, prepared an interesting exhibition, scientific demonstrations addressed to young viewers and workshops on preparing mock-ups. The carpentry and wicker workshops organised by the Centre for Regional and Natural Education in Mniszki were also very popular among trade fair visitors,” summarises Violetta Pastwa, director of TOUR SALON.

An interesting proposition for travel lovers was also a lecture entitled “Individual and family tourism in times of pandemic restrictions,” during which you could learn about the  advantages of such culinary routes as: “Tastes of Lower Silesia”; “Western Masuria behind the Scenes” and “Tastes of the Poznań District.” During the meeting, tastings and  competitions for the audience took place.

On Sunday, an unusual tourist project − “In the footsteps of fair architecture,” implemented by Grupa MTP, also had its premiere. The event began on the stage, where the invited guests told how the fair architecture has developed over the years. The presentation was supplemented with many anecdotes and archival photos, and ended in  the field with a tour of the MTP Poznań EXPO fairgrounds, guided by the architecture critic Jakub Głaz.

When is the 2022 edition scheduled?

According to the organisers of TOUR SALON, the date of the next edition of the fair will be announced soon. Nevertheless, taking into account the opinions of exhibitors and the industry environment, it will be an autumn date. “Regardless of the date, we invite all companies  and institutions with a tourist offer to participate in TOUR SALON. The earlier we manage to cooperate, the greater the package of promotional activities we can offer, and  the more significantly highlight the offer of exhibitors through the program of events dedicated to travel enthusiasts,” emphasises Violetta Pastwa.