Multimedia guide "Praga odNova - the historical power of tourist attractions in Warsaw's Praga"

The Minister of Development, Labor and Technology organizes an open competition for offers for co-financing the implementation of public tasks in the field of tourism every year. The commissioning of the implementation of public tasks takes the form of their support together with the granting of a subsidy for co-financing the implementation of tasks.

This year, for the first time, we also decided to submit an application entitled Multimedia guide "Praga odNova - the historical power of tourist attractions of Warsaw's Praga". The argument in favor of this project is the huge untapped potential of Warsaw's Praga.

About the project:

Praga od Nova – the historical power of tourist attractions in Warsaw's Praga district.

This product was created as a result of the demand of domestic and foreign tourists in post-covid times (mainly for safety). It is also addressed to the residents of Warsaw. When creating it, we cared about innovation and access to a wide audience.

The origins of the project refer to two events:

1. Preparation of an analysis (commissioned by the city) in 2018 on the subject of "Analysis of tourism potential together with recommendations regarding the development of tourism in the revitalized area of Praga included in the Integrated Revitalization Program of the Capital City of Warsaw until 2022"
2. The 2018 workshops organized in the same year by the Warsaw Tourist Organization using the design thinking method resulted in the creation of concepts for Praga products.

An open competition announced by the Minister of Development, Labor and Technology offers for co-financing the implementation of public tasks in the field of tourism in 2021, we saw it as an opportunity to create a new product contained in the recommendations of both of these documents.

The project is one of 25 nationwide awarded a grant under the task: "Innovative solutions in tourism that increase the safety of tourists, including people with disabilities and the elderly, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic"

The analysis of the tourist potential together with recommendations (...)" was a document that organized tourist attractiveness and indicated the possibility of its networking, use and promotion. It concerned the areas covered by the Revitalization Program located in the districts of Praga-Południe, Praga Północ and Targówek. "As part of the study, an audit of attractions was conducted that could serve to satisfy the needs of city users in their free time. The addressees of the activities were both tourists and, above all, residents of the right-bank and left-bank parts of Warsaw. The tourist supply was analyzed, understood as the natural and cultural attractions of the area. An important component of the tourist offer that was also subject to recognition was local activity and the unique identity of the city. Grassroots initiatives, supported by the city or implemented independently, which resulted in the creation of new values attractive to visitors, were studied.

The main focus was on the area covered by the revitalization plan. However, in accordance with the principle that tourists do not recognize borders and administrative divisions, some attractions influencing the desire to visit the area and the possibility of spending free time in an attractive way located in the area of the three analyzed districts, but outside the area covered by the revitalization plan, were also taken into account.

The local community was invited to participate in the work. A series of five workshop meetings were organized. During the first workshop, a study was conducted to determine the identity of the analysis area and the main tourist attractions that could attract tourists. Three subsequent consultations were held in individual districts and were addressed to representatives of the tourism industry, local government officials, and social activists active there. These meetings resulted in a thorough recognition of the achievements in the scope of various, implemented cultural, social and broadly understood local identity projects. During the workshops, the actual ways in which the leisure offer of the districts is used were also discussed. Each workshop was summarized with conclusions allowing to learn about the common themes for the entire revitalization area, around which the attractiveness of the leisure offer can be focused.

An important element of the analysis was to conduct a site visit and visit the area from the perspective of a guest focused on learning about the free time values of the revitalization area. This was to simulate the experience of a person learning about the attractions of three districts and to learn directly about selected places and initiatives. The field reconnaissance took place at the end of November 2019.

All methods used were intended to allow for the recognition and understanding of the unique characteristics of the study area. Discover how to prepare and promote the leisure time offer of three districts in order to strengthen their identity and encourage residents to co-create the proposals.

In turn, the effect of the organized workshops were 8 concepts of services for the management of free time.

The proposals include classic sightseeing tours as well as innovative ideas such as city games, local workshops, art and craft festivals and interactive maps.

The Multimedia Guide Prague odNova is a response to the recommendations presented in both of these projects, although it does not directly refer to either of them. Its operation consists of the following elements:

• Multimedia board – presenting a description of historical and tourist attractions
• A tourist web application adapted to mobile devices
• Information and promotional materials

The selection of attractions presented in the guide was also consulted with experts in this part of Warsaw, and their interesting feature is the recordings with leaders, residents who have spent their entire lives in Praga.

The attractions identified so far in this part of the city are PGE Narodowy, the ZOO, and Koneser – we are talking about the criterion of visiting. And although such places as the Basilica on Kawęczyńska, the Orthodox Church, the Różycki Bazaar or numerous restaurants and bars were part of the offer implemented by several organizers, the multimedia guide has become a new place where individual tourists can also find information about them: residents, domestic or foreign tourists. 30 described in multimedia board and applications attractions include: St. Stephen's Cathedral, Pyzy and the Lord's Skin, outdoor games and entertainment, Prague MDM, under the tender care of the Virgin Mary, Słodki Wedel, Szpotański, the Basilica, different faces of Skaryszewska Street, in search of dwarfs, Prague street art, different faces of the stadium, Monopoly not only for connoisseurs, Willa pod Zwarowaną Gwiazdą, tenement houses - seniors from Środkowa Street, the Russian trail in Prague, hidden factories, right-bank museums, Różycki's bazaar, tenement houses from Targowa Street, the railway empire, cult pubs, bars and restaurants, Prague safari, craftsmen's areas, cosmetics tycoon, Prague Hall of Fame, the villa of chemical manufacturers, attention is spinning... film, from Telefunken to street art, Baj theatre.

Attractions can be grouped into thematic areas such as: culture, art, cultural events, architecture, cuisine, industry, religious buildings, and Prague details.

The description of the 4 thematic routes (Artistic Prague, Religious Prague, Prague Factories, Prague Hollywood) included in the guide is an open recommendation for creating your own sightseeing suggestions tailored to individual interests, and the description of the walk posted on social media will be a recommendation, the best possible one – because it is personal.

Descriptions of routes and attractions are supplemented by photographs from the archives and contemporary ones – taken especially for the project.

Multimedia board, where all the attractions are presented, is in an excellent location and provides access for many consumers (including those visiting Galeria Wileńska), and application can be launched by anyone on their mobile phone. For those using traditional materials have been prepared in their printed version, which are distributed, among others, at Tourist Information Points in the Palace of Culture and Science and in Koneser.