Polish Tourism Organisation participated in the AITO 2019 conference of the Association of Independent Tour Operators, whose latest edition was brought to Wrocław thanks to the joint efforts of POT and Wrocław Convention Bureau.

The largest event of the UK travel industry, the annual overseas conference gathers both association delegates and several dozen influential journalists participating in all events of the three-day meeting.

This year the efforts of Polish Tourism Organisation (Polska Organizacja Turystyczna - POT) joining forces with Wrocław Convention Bureau made it possible to bring the conference to Wrocław. The event kicked off with a ceremonious dinner in the Museum of Architecture in Wrocław, with Deputy Mayor Jakub Mazur delivering the opening keynote speech. The event offered 150 U.K. delegates a chance to taste Polish cuisine, sightsee the Museum and admire exhibitions available at the time.

On the second day of the conference, business sessions were staged in DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Wrocław. The opening panel discussion was dedicated to Poland’s tourist sector and featured Iwona Białobrzycka, Head of London-based Polish Tourism Organisation International Office, along with tour operators boasting many years of experience in staging trips to Poland - John Tangney of Tangney Tours and Alan Rooney of The Cultural Experience.

Subsequent sessions focused on, i.a. the future and development of the tourist sector, new trends in destination marketing, as well as economic and political changes and their impact on customer behaviour in the U.K. There was also no shortage of panel discussions centred on seminal issues such as Brexit and climate changes.

Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) is one of the largest organisations of this kind to be based in the UK. It represents tour operators specialising in thematic holiday packages adjusted to the needs and interests of customers. Their schedules are based on first-hand experiences with particular destinations offered to participants and inspired by a highly passionate approach to the discovery of unexplored places in Europe and worldwide.