The year 2020 is becoming history. The original plan of action had to be modified because there was no room for study tours, fam trips, or participation in events on foreign markets. There was no point in printing promotional materials. Industry integration activities changed shape, and networking in the classic sense had to be translated into new times.
Flexibility dominated our activities. Observing reality, constantly new restrictions, guessing consumer needs, reacting quickly became everyday life. We set the goal of these activities to maintain interest in the destination, promote places that could be visited, search for channels for distributing information about Warsaw. Constant delivery of content, participation in virtual events, fairs, presentations, webinars became the new reality. We promoted takeaway food, Warsaw culinary recipes, online sightseeing, and in the final stage of the year, "online lessons" programs.
We have been responding to inquiries regarding planned MICE events on an ongoing basis and have created new tools for meeting planners: a map of virtual tours of venues in Warsaw, and we have also developed special, flexible conditions for booking and cancelling events for 2021-2022. This offer includes a free site inspection program for new clients who are considering Warsaw for organizing meetings in 2021-22.
More important than these activities, however, was the support for the association members. It was for them that we analyzed the Covid laws, looked for aid programs in the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, or the Masovian Institution for the Implementation of EU Projects. We filed numerous petitions to include incoming tourism (including hotels), fair organizers, gastronomy, and attractions in the laws. On their behalf, we appealed for the introduction of guidelines for restaurants in a time that would allow restaurateurs to efficiently prepare to serve guests again, and for the inclusion of incoming tourism organizers in government aid. It was for them that we took an active part in the work of the Safe Event Council and in those carried out by the Ombudsman for small and medium-sized enterprises. Finally, with tourist attractions and cultural institutions in mind, we lobbied for the inclusion of tourist attractions in the services provided for the Polish Tourist Voucher.
Many good things happened in 2020: new members joined the association, we changed our graphic identification (including the logo), the General Meeting approved changes to the statute that allow for conducting business activity. At the end of the holidays, the President of the City of Warsaw signed the "Warsaw Tourism Policy", setting new directions for its development.
On the last day of 2020, we were able to inform members that the city would increase the association's contribution, thereby exempting entrepreneurs from paying it.
We are entering the new year with a full team, with new ideas, believing more than before that cooperation is the key to success.
