Agents Discover the countries of Central Europe

The tourism draws of Central Europe were on display for agents this week, as four of the region’s countries teamed up with related suppliers and Air Canada rouge for a joint presentation.

The Discover Central Europe evening brought together representatives from Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic along with 12 suppliers from Central Europe, including accommodations and tour operators. Guests were also treated to a dinner featuring regional dishes from each country.

Jiri Duzar, director of Czech Tourism, told PAX that the region’s allure as a growing tourism hotspot stems from travellers looking for something new and different from traditional Western Europe travel destinations. In 2015, Duzar said that the Czech Republic alone saw an increase of 14 per cent in Canadian arrivals (for a total of approximately 87,000), with yet another 12 per cent boost in the first quarter of this year, allaying fears that travel to any part of Europe would be significantly dampened by the recent attacks in Brussels and Paris.

“Our destinations are something new and different,” Duzar said. “People usually know what Western Europe is about, but they may not have seen destinations like Prague or Budapest for themselves, so we want to we want to showcase our countries as well as the properties and tourism businesses found there.”

The event took place shortly after the launch of Air Canada rouge’s Toronto-Prague summer service, which will fly three times per week between now and Sept. 29. Vijay Bathija, vice-president - commercial, Air Canada Leisure Group, told PAX that demand for the service has been strong, resulting in a full inaugural flight this past weekend.

“It’s a new area for Canadians and with the new flights we expect significant stimulation in traffic,” Bathija said.

In addition to Prague, Air Canada will further serve Central Europe with the launch of summer service from Toronto to Budapest on June 10, flying three times weekly until Oct. 15; and Warsaw, commencing June 14 and running until Sept. 30 with four weekly flights.

Major events taking place in Central Europe this year include the 2016 edition of World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland this July, as well as the Czech Republic’s year-long celebration of the 700th anniversary of ruler Charles IV’s birth, marked by a series of exhibitions and festivities held throughout the country.

Central Europe facts

• Canadians may travel to these four countries visa-exempt for up to 90 days.
• While all four countries are members of the European Union, only Slovakia is a current member of the Eurozone; Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic instead use their own currencies (the Hungarian forint, the Polish zloty and the Czech koruna respectively).
• Getting around is made easy by the region’s rail systems, as well as numerous coach services.
• While most often associated with Europe’s Alpine region, the presence of Christmas Markets is growing in Central Europe, which may entice some travellers to visit during the holiday season.

PHOTO: Jiri Duzar, director, Czech Tourism; Elzbieta Budzillo, operations manager, Polish National Tourist Office; Vijay Bathija, vice-president - commercial, Air Canada Leisure Group; Magdolna Fekete, director, Hungarian National Tourist Office; Zuzana Andreanska, director – New York, Slovak Tourist Board.