EASTERN Europe’s top tourism destinations in the UK market are attracting extra conference business through publicising the historical and cultural venues that are outside of their capitals.
Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic are marketing palaces, chateaux and historic houses as ideal talks venues, suitable for smaller gatherings that make up the regions’ bulk of ex-UK conference business.
In Poland, the move to turn old castles and palaces into conference facilities – venues such as the Renaissance castle of Niepolonice, near Crakow – is proving highly successful.
Polish National Tourist Office’s tourism development manager Ewa Binkin said:”By altering their use we’re not abusing the structure of the buildings. We are giving them a new lease of life by converting their halls and cellars into conference rooms that come complete with all the latest high-tech equipment.”
The Polish city of Crakow, designated as one of the nine European Capitals of Culture for 2000, will open its new 3,000-capacity conference centre early in the new millennium. “So many conference and incentive organisers are asking about Crakow nowadays,” said Binkin.
“For a long time, the city has needed a good-sized conference centre of its own. It will be able to take advantage of the extra interest it generates as a Capital of Culture.”
Poland’s biggest conference venue is Wasaw’s Palace of Culture, capable of holding the largest gatherings – its theatre can hold almost 3,000 delegates.
“While Warsaw as a capital has the most conference venues, Crakow with its history is an increasingly popular incentive and there is also growing interest in cities like Gdansk and Poznan,” said Binkin.
With Hungary achieving full NATO membership and heading for European Union accession in 2002, the Hungarian National Tourist Office’s UK director Gabor Tarr expects its conference sector to benefit.
But he sees the short-term future in smaller gatherings.
“Small companies with 40 or 50 delegates are looking for venues in the Hungarian countryside – romantic castles and palaces that have been converted to make superb conference venues,” said Tarr.
Two such castles are Szirak, 50 miles northeast of Budapest, and Seregeles, between Budapest and Lake Balaton – where there is increasing interest for conferences.
Hungary hosted 212 international conferences last year. “US surveys show we’re still among the most popular conference venues – Budapest is in the top 10 cities,” said Tarr.
The Czech Republic is also providing more conference venues in its historical buildings, according to the Czech Tourist Authority’s head of UK operations Dagmar Gillespie.
In the capital, the Prague Congress Centre’s five halls can hold gatherings of up to 2,800, while the spacious halls and lounges of Prague Castle make it a much sought after talks venue. “We get a limited number of small conferences from the UK, but want to encourage more companies to make use of our castles and chateaux outside the capital,” said Gillespie.