Poland is beginning to re-open to tourists, announcing new policy measures for visitors and organisations within the sector to help restore the sector ahead of prospective border openings.

Detailed guidelines for hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions have been announced by the ministry of development and the Polish Tourism Organisation.

Hospitality and retail businesses were officially allowed to re-open earlier in May, based on conditions to follow strict regulations.

Thanks to an effective Covid-19 strategy, Poland was relatively unaffected by the outbreak, with under 20,000 cases and under 1,000 deaths.

Each business operating in the hospitality industry must adopt the following procedures:

• Limits to the number of individuals staying in a building, both visitors and staff.
• Implement temperature checks before entering a building – individuals who show possible symptoms of the disease will not be allowed to enter.
• Staff must wear face masks and gloves all the time.
• Provide regular disinfections of public areas and locations such as counters, handles, payment terminals, hotel room keys, elevators, toilets etc.

While restaurants remain closed, Polish hotels were allowed to re-open from Monday.

Guests can dine only at their rooms (room service deliveries).

This also applies to hotel gyms, shared spaces and swimming pools which all remain closed.

Restaurants, cafes, hairdressers, and beauty salons also re-opened as of Monday, but are obliged to apply social distancing measures and keep people two metres apart.

Shopping centres, museums and galleries re-opened on May 4th, allowing one customer per 15 square metre of space.

Face coverings in public will remain obligatory.

Borders remain closed to all international arrivals until at least the June 12th.

“If the situation remains positive, we may be able to open our borders in late June.

“We would love to welcome back all foreign tourists, particularly those arriving from the UK.

“Over the last few years, we have noticed a significant growth in the number of Brits visiting Poland.

“We are hoping that the ongoing situation will not discourage them from holidaying in our country and Poland will remain on their travel list,” said Iwona Bialobrzycka, director of the Polish National Tourist office in London.