Agrotravel Fair 2014
The 6th International Rural Tourism and Agrotourism Fair AGROTRAVEL 2014 was held 11 – 13 April 2014 on the premises of Kielce Trade Fairs
Honoured Region – The Wielkopolskie Voivodeship
Honoured Country – Ukraine represented by the Vinnytsia Oblast
Fair event was accompanied by International Conference
“Rural Tourism without Boundaries”
ABOUT THE FAIR
The AGROTRAVEL fair is the most important, specialised fair event in Poland, integrating tourism sector from rural areas of Europe. It is a meeting place for all people interested in the development of rural areas by the activity in rural tourism and agrotourism.
Their idea is to highlight the role of rural tourism, including agrotourism, that is played in transformation of rural areas and living and working conditions of its inhabitants, contributing to the implementation of tourism investment projects generating new jobs and with positive impact on competitiveness and professional activity of the inhabitants of rural areas.
The AGROTRAVEL fair is a unique place, full of colours and smells, evocative of the holiday at the countryside and childhood memories. This is also a place full of opportunities to relax and have fun, learning about folklore, customs, rituals, rural traditions and everyday life. These are also accompanied by promotion of local and regional cuisine products.This is also the festival of culture heritage of European villages. In addition, Polish access to the European Union was commemorated during the meeting of representatives of 10 countries – members of the UE. The main subject of the meeting referred to experiences and benefits arising from membership in the UE.
EXHIBITORS AND VISITORS
Fairs are a great opportunity to present and promote holiday offer of rural areas and exchange experience among various entities active in the tourism sector in rural areas. Their characteristic feature is an opportunity to disseminate the multicultural offer of the European rural tourism and agrotourism in one place at one time.
Each year, almost 150 exhibitors from Poland and abroad gather at the premises of the fair and exhibition centre. The majority of the exhibitors are regions, local action groups and agrotourism associations which promote tourism value of the Polish and European countryside.
Almost 20-thousand visitors are both representatives of the sector and individuals looking for interesting way to spend their free time.
ACCOMPANYING EVENTS
The fair is a unique opportunity for meeting of international elites of rural tourism, looking for valuable partnership contracts and exchanging experience in the development of rural tourism and agrotourism among all the participants.
An extensive offer of accompanying events, i.e. conferences, training, workshops, oriented at different milieus (academia, counsellors, representatives of education, self-governments, entrepreneurs, tourism sector, representatives of local NGO initiatives) provides opportunities for the exchange of experience and knowledge and shaping the development of rural tourism.
As every year, the fair was accompanied by:
- An international conference
- Thematic workshops, including workshops for the youth
- Fair of regional products, culinary products and a cultural scene for folk artists
- Competitions for visitors and exhibitors
- Study tour in the region
During the Agrotravel, exhibitors had an opportunity to take part in two competitions:
Competition for the most interesting stall
Competition for the most interesting package of rural tourism
On 11 April 2014 at 17.15 in the “Omega” Hall, Kielce Trade Fair the Ceremony of the Award-Giving to the competition’s winners took place. The event was accompanied by performances giving by artists from Ukraine and Wielkopolska region of Poland (partners of current edition). More information can be obtained at bookmark “Exhibitors-Competitions 2014”
International conference
From the beginnings, the AGROTRAVEL fair has been accompanied by an international conference, raising different aspects of rural tourism every year, which contributes to its unique character.
In 2009 the conference’s subjects were the rural tourism market in Poland, development opportunities for rural areas and obstacles to the development in this regard. The issues discussed did not exhaust all the aspects of the development of rural areas, use of tourism functions, or the whole complexity of the subject. That is why, in following years questions concerning adaptation of the rural tourism offer to market economy and commercialisation of rural tourism offer, financial conditions and cooperation at creating and distributing rural tourism products were discussed at the event. To sum it up, in 2011, while analysing the 20-year experiment in Polish rural tourism, a need was defined to determine mechanisms which will contribute to the development of rural tourism and agrotourism at the national and international level. In 2012 particular attention was paid to the development opportunities for rural tourism in Europe after 2013, and to the improvement of the quality of services provided in agrotourism. It was highlighted that tourism policy in rural areas should be fully consistent with the objectives, strategies and instruments of the Common Agricultural Policy and the Cohesion Policy. Opportunities for linking challenges for rural areas with the objectives of the new tourism policy were outlined in the Declaration concerning the mechanisms of support for rural tourism in the European Union under the 2014-2020 Financial Perspective. The particular focus during the 2013 conference was put on building the basis for integration of activities to shape the policy of rural tourism development as a sustainable and providing the expected outcomes to all the interested groups and, by means of the competitive advantage, improving the quality of living of the inhabitants of rural areas and attractiveness of these areas for tourism.
The organizers: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Sport and Tourism of the Republic of Poland, Marshall Office of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeshio, Polish Tourism Organisation, Kielce Trade Fairs, Polsig Federation of Rural Tourism “Hospitable Farms”, School of Economics, Law and Medical Sciences, Regional Tourism Organisation of Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship.
According to particular role that regions play in stimulating and creating the desired phenomena and socio-economic and cultural changes off villages, including rural tourism, we encourage to present the most valuable and precious products at the exhibition stalls during the 6th Fair AGROTRAVEL. It will contribute to creating an image of rural areas as a tourist market that offers diverse and year-round attractions.
The specific issues related to the purchase of surface and stall equipment and its location, please contact directly with the Fair Manager, Aneta Pastuszka, e-mail: pastuszka.a@targikielce.pl, phone: +48 41 365 14 16, mobile: 606 731 843 from 8.00 to 16.00.
Special offer of participation for foreign exhibitors
VI International Rural Tourism and Agrotourism Fair – FRAMEWORK SCHEDULE
FRAMEWORK PROGRAM OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
6th International Rural Tourism and Agrotourism Fair