The Poland Guide

Poland Summer Bookings Up 18% as Arrivals Head for New High in 2026

· 2 min read Travel News
Old Town square in Krakow with summer visitors

Contents

  1. What Is Driving the Surge
  2. Where Visitors Are Going
  3. Planning a Trip

Bookings for travel to Poland are running 18% above the same period last year, according to data from the Polish Tourism Organisation released this week. If the trend holds through the remaining summer weeks, 2026 is on course to set a second consecutive record for international arrivals — following the 58.9 million figure recorded in 2025.

What Is Driving the Surge

Several factors are contributing to stronger-than-expected demand for Poland this summer.

Value perception: Poland continues to offer a significant cost-of-travel advantage over Western European destinations for many visitors, particularly from the UK, Germany, Scandinavia, and the US. Accommodation, restaurants, and local transport all sit at price levels that allow for extended stays on budgets that would be stretched in comparable cities further west.

Air route expansion: A cluster of new direct routes opened in spring 2026, including increased frequencies from UK regional airports to Warsaw and Krakow, and new connections from North America. More available seats at competitive fares tend to stimulate demand that was latent.

Cultural and historical tourism: Poland’s Second World War historical sites, including the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial and the Warsaw Rising Museum, continue to draw significant visitor numbers. These sites attract visitors for whom the purpose of travel is memorial or educational, a segment that tends to be less price-sensitive than leisure-only travellers.

Proximity for German visitors: Germany accounts for the largest share of inbound visitors to Poland, and shorter travel times by road and rail from Berlin and southern Germany make Poland a practical choice for weekend and short-break travel that would require a flight elsewhere in Europe.

Where Visitors Are Going

Warsaw and Krakow absorb the majority of international overnight stays, but the data from the Tourism Organisation shows above-average growth in bookings for Gdansk and Wroclaw — cities with strong old-town tourism products that have benefited from increased air access.

Planning a Trip

If you are considering visiting Poland this summer, the additional demand has implications for accommodation availability and pricing, particularly in Krakow’s old town, which operates with limited hotel stock relative to visitor numbers. Booking accommodation further in advance than you might typically consider is advisable for July and August travel.

For first-time visitors, see our first time in Poland guide which covers what to expect on arrival, local transport, and the practical basics.