Poland records strongest first half for tourism

Poland’s tourist accommodation establishments hosted 20.3 million visitors in the first half of 2026, up 7.2% year on year. They recorded 47.2 million overnight stays, an increase of 5.2% from the same period in 2025.

Foreign visitor numbers grew faster

Data presented during the Economic Forum in Karpacz showed faster growth among international visitors. The number of foreign tourists using accommodation in Poland rose by 10.5% in the first half of 2026.

Poland ranked eighth in the European Union for overnight stays in tourist accommodation during the period. It recorded 7.9 million more overnight stays than Portugal.

Summer generated 29.4 million overnight stays

According to Statistics Poland’s preliminary estimate, 10.0 million tourists used accommodation establishments in July and August 2026. That was 2.5% more than in the same period a year earlier.

The number of overnight stays reached 29.4 million, up 3.7% year on year. Statistics Poland said the summer figures were preliminary and could be revised once the full data processing cycle is completed.

The West Pomeranian region recorded the highest number of overnight stays, at 5.8 million. Pomerania followed with 4.4 million, Lesser Poland with 4.2 million, Lower Silesia with 2.9 million and Mazovia with 2.5 million.

47.5 million same-day visits

Accommodation statistics do not capture all tourism activity. Statistics Poland also uses other sources, including mobile network data, to estimate the number of same-day visitors.

There were 47.5 million such visits in the first half of 2026. Domestic trips accounted for 21.2 million, while international arrivals accounted for 26.3 million.

Same-day visit estimates and accommodation statistics measure different types of travel. They should therefore not be added together and treated as a single measure of people staying in tourist accommodation.

Tourism spending reached PLN 96.1 billion

According to data presented by Statistics Poland President Marek Cierpiał-Wolan, spending by domestic and international visitors in Poland, including same-day visitors, reached PLN 96.1 billion between January and August 2026. The comparable figure for 2025 was PLN 88.3 billion.

For the tourism industry, visitor and overnight-stay figures point to different growth rates. Tourist numbers rose by 7.2% in the first half of 2026, while overnight stays increased by 5.2%. Visitor counts alone therefore do not provide a complete picture of changes in accommodation demand.