We interviewed Tomasz Kayser, Deputy Mayor of the City of Poznan, on the city?s tourist assets.

What makes tourists visit Poznan?

Poznan boasts a great ambiance, a number of attractions and friendly people. These reasons are sufficient but that?s not all. It?s also worth coming here for Poznan?s 1000 years-plus of tradition that you can see, feel and learn about in the city.

How can you attract foreign tourists to visit Poznan?

We carried out a very intensive promotional campaign at the largest tourist fair in Berlin. We sought to encourage tourists to visit our city in many ways. We spoke of the tourist attractions, the outstanding ambiance of Poznan?s Old Market, but also about such lures as the ?Half Price Poznan? campaign as an additional incentive, a pretext to visit Poznan.

Could you explain the ?Half Price Poznan? campaign and its purpose?

It?s actually only a pretext to see Poznan. It's not by accident that we mount the campaign on ?long? weekends, when Poznan citizens leave their city. The rule is quite simple ? we encourage tourists to visit Poznan by offering them various culinary and hotel services at half price. But again, that?s merely a pretext. In fact, we prepare a number of tourist attractions, such as sightseeing of the 19^th-century defensive forts, a tour around the ZOO, visits to church basements, the Imperial Castle ? a number of attractions to make visitors leave Poznan convinced that there are really so many interesting things here, that it is really worth staying in Poznan for longer, and that they should share these observations with their friends and family. So ?Half Price Poznan? is a way of encouraging visits to Poznan targeted at those who have not yet seen the city, and to convince them that it is a perfect weekend destination, for instance.

What do you think is Poznan?s biggest tourist attraction?

I think it?s the climate. It?s obvious that you can build a great building such as the Stary Browar, but you cannot build the Old Town?s houses and little streets. Poznan also has the beautiful Old Market with its own ambiance.

I also believe that our attractiveness owes much to the attitude of Poznan?s citizens. During the Climate Conference and the Taizé Meeting everyone stressed the significance of something you can?t create in a year ? you either have it or not. And this ?something? is the Cathedral Island, the burial place of the first rulers of Poland, the excellent ZOO, the Palm House, and other attractions ? including the Stary Browar. But it?s the people ? Poznan?s citizens and their friendliness towards their guests that is the most important factor.

In other words, Poznan is attractive both for tourists who like history, gourmets and shoppers?

Poznan boasts diversified tourist opportunities and outstanding surroundings. The Local Tourist Organisation also includes member organisations from Poznan?s further environs, e.g. the beautiful small palaces where you can feel like an aristocrat at least for a couple of hours, try horse riding and enjoy the beautiful parks, forests and lakes.

Is Poznan a good base for trips to outlying parts of the area?

On the one hand, Poznan is a place where you can spend your free time in a good, attractive way, on the other ? it?s a place where you can ?recharge your batteries?. But more than that, it?s also a place where you can see the things that are most precious to every tourist, the, unique uncommon things like the rogale świętomarcińskie, which is unique because no other region makes them. There are not many cities that allow you to touch the Renaissance, Baroque and Secession during just a short walk, as you can do in Poznan. The problem is in convincing those who associate Poznan only with business, the International Fair ? but not those attractions I?ve talked about.

It?s often said that foreign tourists stay here only one night, considering Poznan a transit city. Are there any ideas on how to change this attitude?

It's true, that?s how Poznan is perceived and that?s why we?re working on how to use our history more successfully. As a matter of fact, the knowledge of how many kings were buried in Poznan?s Cathedral is not common, even among Poznan?s citizens. And this is an unusual place, it?s here that the Polish state was born. But then it?s not enough just to have such a place somewhere on the map, it has to be described and presented, and that?s the idea behind one of the largest investments in Poznan: The Heritage Centre of Cathedral Island. The centre will use multimedia to present history, which is the means most appealing to the imagination of the contemporary tourist ? one will be able to learn and experience the history here first-hand. Thus, the solution is to create new places as well as promote the existing ones; the ZOO, the Elephant House and the Palm House etc, in a more efficient way.

Could you describe how Poznan is promoted abroad?

Poznan is promoted, for example, by the ?Half Price Poznan? campaign. Of course, we take part in tourist fairs, but it?s not enough to just be there, you also have to propose something. Therefore, on the one hand, we create certain projects, occasions to see Poznan, and on the other hand, we push them. We also finance visits by journalists from around the world. We finance their stays, and they showcase our attractions.

What countries do the journalists who participate in such visits come from?

These are most often traditional links: Germany, Scandinavia, Spain, the United Kingdom and Holland. It?s worth mentioning that recently, journalists from Asia have begun to take an increasing interest in our city, although this is still not on a scale we would expect.

As Deputy Mayor of the City of Poznan, and as a tourist, you can visit various interesting places. How would you assess Poznan against that background?

I will restate what I honestly feel at the moment. First of all Poznan has an excellent atmosphere, it?s a place where you can feel really good, and relaxed. Poznan?s Old Market, while not quite as big as Krakow?s or Wroclaw's, offers something else; it offers a pleasant climate, where you can rest, meet your friends, and have a nice weekend. I think that overall, Poznan?s main asset is its climate. That?s why you can have a great time in Poznan. It doesn?t weigh down on you, you don?t feel lost here.