Tourism Brands Cluster of Eastern Poland

We are an organisation associating entities operating in broadly defined tourism sector. Our main goal is individual development of all organisations forming the Cluster, as well as promotion of the whole Eastern Poland macro region, especially of Podlachian and Warmian-Masurian Voivodeships, as places of high touristic values. The cluster operates on the base of partnership and cooperation. One of the most important results of this approach is an integrated tourist offer. Within the confines of joint operation, we operate such activities as promotional campaigns, trade conferences and foreign missions and researches that will allow identifying market niches and preparing adequate specialised tourist products.

Our mission

Mission of the Tourism Brands Cluster of Eastern Poland is supporting institutions and entrepreneurs operating in the fields of tourist, training, sport and leisure services through establishing a solid ground for cooperation based on the transfer of knowledge, technology and innovative solutions between Cluster’s members, business environment institutions, research and development entities and local governments.

Profits from being a member of the Cluster

•     cost reduction (a/o marketing expenses) and more effective promotion
•     increase in innovativeness and competitiveness
•     easier access to outside funding
•     increase in sales and number of clients
•     increase in employment

Profits for the region

•     reinforcement of the touristic brand of the region
•     promotion of the region on national and international touristic market
•     increase in employment in the sector, resulting from intensified tourist movement and longer season
•     more dynamic regional development
•     increase in innovativeness and competitiveness of the region by strengthening the tourism sector

Cluster’s chain of value and competence

•     touristic services and products (a/o qualified tourism, active tourism, business tourism, recreational tourism etc.)
•     accommodation facilities (hotels, rooms in agrotourism facilities, guesthouses, motels, hostels)
•     gastronomy
•     tourism market research
•     professional training courses and workshops
•     organisation of conferences, fairs, foreign trade missions
•     sale support of tourism services and products (marketing, promotional activities)
•     participation in works concerning, and implementation of tourism development strategy on the level of local and regional authorities

The concept of clustering

Micheal Porter, American researcher of economical structures is commonly considered to be the creator of the concept of clustering. Cluster is a network of cooperating entities: enterprises, business environment institutions, research facilities, administrative units. An exchange of knowledge and experiences occurring naturally in such structure results in a transfer of technology and diffusion of innovations.

Clusters take advantage of scale and synergy effects. A large number of cooperating entities allow to conquer new markets, broaden the offer, cumulate potential of individual firms. In the modern economy, such clusters are the most important centres of knowledge, innovation, thoughtful development of companies and regions.

Even though in the world clusters have developed for few decades, their potential in Poland have been recognised only recently. Thanks to EU funds, especially from Innovative Economy and Development of Eastern Poland programmes, entrepreneurs began to take interest in this form of cooperation. Ties of partnership are being created in many sectors, a/o in sectors of advanced technology (IT, biotechnology, pharmacology), but also in more traditional ones, like construction and tourism.