Why Poles are afraid of promoting beer, wine and other beverages? [PODCAST #50]

We should be proud of our spirits. There is nothing wrong with promoting a region, city or country with alcoholic beverages. The act on upbringing in sobriety, which hampers promotion, was written during the martial law, it is high time to change it. Local liquor is a source of pride all over the world – said the participants in the debate during the 10th Tourism Promotion Forum at the Orientarium in Łódź.

In the discussion led by Adam Gąsior, editor-in-chief of WaszTurystyka portal.pl, was attended by: Jan Bosnovic, Key Account Manager TMR in Poland, Hubert Czochański, curator at the Podlaskie Museum of Folk Culture, Tomasz Prange-Barczyński, editor-in-chief of the magazine “Ferment. Wine magazine”, Marcin Różycki, Vice President of the Polish Tourist Organization, Rafał Stec, founder of the Stec Family Vineyard, Andrzej Szumowski, President of the Board of the Polish Vodka Association, Arletta Ziemian, co-founder of the Stu Mostów Brewery in Wrocław.

They emphasized that alcohols of different kinds and species all over the world are used to promote gastronomy and culture of a given country. They are often associated with a particular region and city, being its symbol. Polish vodka, Polish liquors, honeys, beers and, more and more often, wines, constitute the strength of the local cuisine and make tourists eager to return to places where their palates experienced pleasant moments.

The act on upbringing in sobriety should be amended and it is the tourism industry that should form an alliance to lobby for this change. It is not about promoting drunkenness. At tourism fairs, at the stands of many countries, tastings of national beverages are at the same time a demonstration of the culture of alcohol consumption and a lesson on different types of alcohol.