Saturday, August 3, 2024 Zakopane has long been a leading holiday destination for the Polish visitors but now it is pulling ever-more tourists from the Middle East . It is nestled in the Tatra Mountains, which straddle Poland ’s southern border with Slovakia. Data from the Tatra Chamber of Commerce show the town’s hotel occupancy standing at 90% mid-summer, with Arab tourists now making up about 10% of all visitors.
This year, the number of Arab tourists visiting the town, primarily from the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Oman has increased by approximately 3% compared to the previous year. Many of them fly from their countries of origin to Krakow, some 100 kilometers from Zakopane, and then travel to the resort for one-day trips. Adjusting to the growing trend, restaurants on Krupówki Street, the main promenade in Zakopane and one of the most famous streets in Poland, now feature Arabic signs, menus in Arabic and halal food.
Several news outlets have reported on tourists from Dubai buying cases of honey, souvenirs, traditional costumes, and candy in bulk. They are, apparently, particularly fond of fudge, often spending hundreds of złotys at a time on the chewy candies. The Arab tourists also don’t seem to mind spending their petrodollars on cabs, rental cars, and horse-drawn carriages.
Their numbers should help boost the town’s tourism sector. Zakopane hotel owners are noticing an increase in longer stays, now averaging over four days. The busy summer season is evi.