Synergy That Pays Off: How Cooperation with ROTs, LOTs and Convention Bureaux Builds Profits in Tourism
Cooperation between Regional Tourism Organisations (Regionalne Organizacje Turystyczne, ROTs), Local Tourism Organisations (Lokalne Organizacje Turystyczne, LOTs), Convention Bureaux and non-governmental organisations in the tourism industry is not only sensible but fundamental to the sustainable growth of the entire sector. Synergy between local governments, business and non-governmental institutions makes it possible to build coherent, competitive tourism products and joint promotional activities that genuinely increase the flow of both domestic and international tourists. Such partnerships are an effective way to support businesses, from small travel agencies to large organisers, and to strengthen the position of destinations on international business tourism (MICE) and leisure markets.
The POT-ROT-LOT System as a Platform for Integrating Business and Local Governments
Polish tourism structures, based on a model in which the Polish Tourism Organisation (Polska Organizacja Turystyczna, POT) supports Regional and Local Tourism Organisations, were designed as platforms for multi-sector cooperation. Each level of this system has clearly defined tasks: from promoting regions and creating coherent tourism products, through giving opinions on investments, to training industry staff. Events such as the POT-ROT-LOT Forum in Cedzyna confirm that the key to the further development of tourism in Poland is "joint planning of activities and exchange of experience" between all levels of the system. In practice, this means, among other things, joint promotional campaigns, product projects, better use of market data and a quick response to trends in regenerative, health and sustainable tourism.
Turystyczna Organizacja Otwarta (Open Tourism Organisation), as one of the key non-governmental organisations in the system, directs its projects not only to tourism entrepreneurs but also to employees of local government bodies. This approach stems from a deep conviction that a better understanding of the interests of both sides, public administration and businesses, directly improves communication, the achievement of shared goals and the effectiveness of joint promotional activities. Turystyczna Organizacja Otwarta's training projects, such as the series of free workshops "Tourism Without Barriers – 2025" carried out on commission from the Ministry of Sport and Tourism (Ministerstwo Sportu i Turystyki), are addressed both to tourism industry employees (travel agencies, hotels, carriers, guides, animators, etc.) and to representatives of public and local government institutions (local government units and non-governmental organisations). This holistic training model builds shared awareness of barriers, opportunities and business prospects, which directly contributes to higher quality tourism services and to better adapting them to market needs.
The Role of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Building the Tourism Product
Regional and local tourism products are built on small and medium-sized tourism enterprises. Individual attractions run by local entrepreneurs, such as traditional cuisine restaurants, thematic museums, agritourism farms and active recreation venues, are the components of a mosaic of offerings, which large tourism organisations, convention bureaux and LOT/ROT systems then promote and package into a neat whole. Without the contribution of small and medium-sized tourism businesses, there would be nothing to promote a given place with on the national and international stage, and so without them no region has a chance of being competitive on the tourism market.
For over two decades, the Polish Tourism Organisation (POT) has awarded the prestigious POT Certificates, the "tourism Oscars", to the country's best tourism products. Both large facilities (science centres, historic fortresses) and small, niche attractions (restaurants with traditional crafts, ethnographic museums run by local communities) can enter the competition. In practice, this means that it is precisely these small and medium-sized enterprises, such as restaurants, craft producers and boutique hotels, that gain access to a much larger number of both domestic and international tourists by receiving a POT Certificate or taking part in tourism organisations' promotional programmes. Thanks to recommendations from regional and local tourism organisations, such venues are discovered by domestic tourists and visitors from abroad alike.
Specific examples are the winners of the Best Regional Tourism Product competition in recent years: the Shakespeare Festival in Gdańsk, the Gingerbread Museum in Toruń (alongside which an entire culinary trail has been created), the Kashubian Ethnographic Park in Wdzydze, and family picnics and fairs in picturesque small towns. All of these products are built on small and medium-sized enterprises, such as guides, museum staff and restaurants, whose work and commitment form the foundation of a region's appeal.
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Convention Bureau – Specialists in Business Tourism and International Conferences
A Convention Bureau is a specialised meetings bureau that promotes a given destination as a venue for international congresses, conferences and large events. In Poland, the network of Convention Bureaux, both national (Poland Convention Bureau POT) and regional (e.g. Mazovia Convention Bureau, and the Convention Bureaux in Wrocław, Gdańsk and other cities), operates on the basis of partnership between local governments, the hotel business, event agencies and industry organisations.
Cooperation between Convention Bureaux and local governments and institutional partners is key because it makes it possible to win large international conferences, which generate significant revenue for cities, hotels, DMC (Destination Management Companies) agencies and the entire ecosystem of small service providers (transport, catering, event services). The strategic materials of the Mazovia Convention Bureau for 2026–2030, prepared in cooperation with Mazovian local governments, show that building a competitive conference offer requires coordinated action by administration, convention bureaux, industry organisations and NGOs. This approach translates into concrete contracts for hotels, PCOs (Professional Congress Organizers), event agencies, transport providers and other companies belonging to industry organisations, especially small and medium-sized operators who co-create the conference service.
Business Benefits for Entrepreneurs Belonging to Organisations
Polish tourism in 2025 shows dynamic growth: in the first half of the year and the first three quarters, the number of foreign and domestic tourists rose by 10.2% (+2.65 million tourists) year on year, with 7.3% more overnight stays (+almost 5 million). In such an environment, membership of a ROT/LOT, participation in POT-ROT-LOT projects and cooperation with Convention Bureaux give entrepreneurs a "real competitive advantage".
Specific business benefits for companies belonging to tourism organisations include:
Joint stands at tourism fairs (including international fairs such as ITTF or Travel Market): members of TOO/MOT/ROT/LOT can take part at significantly lower cost by joining shared exhibitions;
Participation in regional promotional campaigns financed from public funds, which significantly increases the visibility of individual companies' offers;
Access to support programmes and training, such as the "Tourism Without Barriers – 2025" series, open to employees of tourism and event companies (the training is free of charge), as well as training on changing accounting or legislative regulations;
Influence on the shape of regulations and dialogue with public administration: industry organisations represent the interests of small and medium-sized entrepreneurs in discussions on new regulations, taxes and support programmes;
Real growth in the number of customers thanks to POT certificates, participation in study tours for tour operators and recommendations in regional promotional materials.
Research and recommendation analyses (including the XI Tourism Experts Panel) emphasise that better coordination of local government units, ROTs, LOTs and NGOs, and building models for increasing the activity of these bodies, are essential conditions for increasing the competitiveness of SMEs in tourism. Strengthening cooperation therefore means strengthening the business of individual companies.
International Partnerships – The Example of a Study Tour by the Czech Tourism Authority for Polish Organisers
Cross-border partnerships between the tourism organisations of neighbouring countries are an excellent example of how cooperation at the strategic level translates directly into growth in tourist numbers and sales. Cooperation between the Czech Republic and Poland in tourism is among the most active in Central Europe, particularly given the growing influx of Czech tourists to Poland: in 2024, around 410,000 Czechs visited Poland, and this number is forecast to keep growing in the coming years.
In 2025, the Czech Tourism Authority (Czech Tourism), working closely with Turystyczna Organizacja Otwarta, organised a study tour for Polish tour operators. Study tours, also known as FAM trips (Familiarization Trips), are educational trips for tour operators, travel agents and industry staff, intended to familiarise them with the offer of a given region or country so that they can later promote and sell tourism packages to their customers.
The logic of such cooperation is simple: if a Polish tour operator gets to know the offer of Czech regions in person, they will promote it better to their customers. What matters in such activities is the proper and sensible selection of tour operators: this is not a holiday trip but a very intensive, condensed introduction to local attractions, restaurants and hotels, sometimes several a day of each type.
Strengthening Relations Between Organisers and Regional Representatives
The key role of such international partnerships is to strengthen communication and trust between tour operators and the authorities and promotion bodies of regions. When a Polish tour operator meets face to face with a regional representative, the director of a regional tourism organisation or the owners of local attractions, there is a natural exchange of information, understanding of market needs and joint planning of shared projects. This relationship then yields a new offer, better matched to the expectations of tourists from the given country.
Strengthening relations between organisers and regional representatives (local governments, LOTs/ROTs, local businesses) leads to an improved tourism offer, one that better meets the expectations of international tourism markets.
Summary – A Shared Interest
Cooperation between local governments (ROTs, LOTs), Convention Bureaux and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the tourism industry is not a "nice extra" for business, but a condition for scaling up and gaining access to growth for entrepreneurs. Without such a system of support, promotion and cooperation, it would be hard for small and medium-sized tourism companies to compete, and regions would be less visible on international markets.
At the national level, joint POT-ROT-LOT activities (campaigns, products, training, certificates) increase companies' visibility, make it easier to reach new customers and lower the unit cost of promotion for each company. At the international level, partnerships such as Polish-Czech cooperation and other study tours create bridges between tourist markets, allowing a real increase in arrivals and diversification of entrepreneurs' income. Such partnerships also show that a better understanding of the needs of local government employees, business organisers and non-governmental institutions contributes to more effective promotional activities and better support for the domestic tourism business.
