How was TOO founded?
In early March 2020, as a result of measures introduced by the Polish Government, representatives of tourism and event companies realized that their businesses had been unlawfully halted overnight. Hundreds of thousands of companies were deprived of the ability to earn income, and thus to support their employees and their own families. These measures triggered an avalanche of events that gave rise to the fear that, on the day the lockdown ended, the domestic market would see countless bankruptcies and collapses of small and medium-sized enterprises. With no means of putting pressure on the government's actions, the idea emerged of establishing an association as a formal expression of the will of entrepreneurs. The first President was Alina Dybaś, and the board was completed by, among others, Iwona Masłowska and Zuzanna Sprycha. Through the initiatives undertaken, the association grew and gained new members. To this day, the organization is joined mainly by small and medium-sized tour operators, travel agents, carriers, various kinds of accommodation and tourist attraction providers, as well as tour guides and tour escorts. Each month, the directory of members expands to include new companies. The association provides its members with advisory and training services and lobbies the Ministry of Sport and Tourism (Ministerstwo Sportu i Turystyki) for any changes related to legislation or inter-ministerial projects.