Latest news with #SouthernPoland
Arab News
5 days ago
- Arab News
Gulf tourists say Polish mountain town is a cool place
ZAKOPANE: Saudi photographer Fahad Alayyash gazed over the Alpine-like panorama of the Tatras, Poland's highest mountain range — and a surprising new hotspot for Arab tourists. The 38-year-old is among thousands of Gulf residents spending their summer vacation in Zakopane, a resort known for its ski lifts and hiking trails, where historic wooden houses mix with modern hotels. 'We've completely taken over the place,' Alayyash said while standing on Gubalowka, a peak overlooking Zakopane, where dozens of visitors drink coffee, shop for souvenirs and enjoy the view. Zakopane, located in southern Poland, has become a major summer draw for holidaymakers from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, with up to seven daily flights from the region at nearby Krakow Airport. The boom started with a Saudi travel agency representative, said Agata Wojtowicz, head of the Tatra chamber of commerce. She said the official came to Zakopane to scout for a new destination with a direct connection to the Gulf and 'was astonished' by the town. Flydubai launched the first Dubai-Krakow connection in 2018 and Emiratis are now coming in droves — helped by their visa-free access to the European Union. Last year they were Poland's fastest-growing tourist group, according to the tourism ministry, with numbers 66 percent higher than in 2023. Manal Alanazy, a 45-year-old educational technology professor at King Saud University, said Zakopane is well-known among Saudis. 'When I told my dad and my brother that I'm going to Poland, my brother didn't like it. He said: 'It's all Gulf people there,'' she told AFP. Zakopane uses social media to attract Gulf tourists who have created 'a snowball effect' of growing interest, said Wojtowicz. Over the past three years, Arab influencers have been invited on promotional visits, according to Grzegorz Biedron, chairman of its tourism organization. Both Alanazy and Abdullah Alotaibi, a 30-year-old Kuwaiti ship captain, learnt about Zakopane from X. 'I saw on Twitter (X) a thread about Zakopane, and how it treats all people the same, and there is no racism about religions, so I liked it and I came,' said Alotaibi. Arab tourists cite the feeling of safety as one of Zakopane's key assets. 'It was dark and I was walking... I'm like, 'You're not in Poland, you're in one of the Gulf countries. Just look. Nothing will happen,'' said Alanazy. For Zakopane's business owners, the Gulf clientele has been a blessing. 'This year, around two-thirds are Arabs,' Anna Stoch-El Einen, who owns a kebab restaurant and souvenir shop, said of her customers. 'We have very few Polish tourists in the region, perhaps because of the weather,' she added. The hospitality industry has adapted fast to the preferences of Middle East visitors. Stoch-El Einen offers menus in Polish and Arabic, and has a 'halal' certificate displayed over the counter. 'We also make sure that we have a halal menu,' said Wiktor Wrobel, CEO of the region's Nosalowy hotel group. Arab customers constitute up to 30 percent of all summer guests at his five-star hotel in Zakopane. City mayor Lukasz Filipowicz told AFP 'local entrepreneurs are very happy about the presence of tourists from the Middle East.' He said the biggest challenge was the difference in driving cultures, with visitors often breaking parking and entry laws. 'Every municipal police patrol is equipped with a handbook in Arabic... so that tourists from the Middle East can understand and comply with the applicable regulations,' Filipowicz said. The day is rainy, but the drizzle did not deter Gulf visitors escaping the infernal summer heat in their home region. Temperatures sometimes top 50C in the Gulf, whereas Polish summers are generally mild. Alanazy initially wanted to vacation in Paris. 'I canceled because the heatwave hit the European countries,' she told AFP, adding that 'the weather is perfect' in Zakopane. Wrobel said climate change is a reason behind the surge in Zakopane's popularity. 'The respite that visitors from Arab countries are looking for cannot be found in Italy or Spain, where temperatures have also risen significantly,' he told AFP. Hanka Krzeptowska-Marusarz, whose family runs a guesthouse in Zakopane, recalled seeing a Kuwaiti in full Islamic attire as she stood in a meadow, arms spread out, soaked in torrential rain. 'I thought it was beautiful,' she said.
News24
30-07-2025
- Politics
- News24
Auschwitz museum launches online tool to fight Holocaust denial
The museum at the site of the former Nazi death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau launched on Wednesday a campaign to fight Holocaust denial on social media. The "Stop Denial" online tool helps individuals debunk common denialist arguments using "documents, photographs, witness accounts or the results of historical research", said the Auschwitz museum in southern Poland. It includes a manual instructing users to respond to denialist content on social media by commenting on posts with a link to the "Stop Denial" website. The museum cites examples of false claims it aims to debunk, such as statements like "Official documentation lacks information about the extermination at Auschwitz" and the "International Red Cross raised no objections after visit to camp". Museum director Piotr Cywinski said in a statement that in the past "few could look into the eyes of the living survivors and say in cold blood that all their testimonies were lies". "Today, there are few left. So anti-Semitic, xenophobic, populist voices are rising up," he added. Museum spokesman Bartosz Bartyzel said the launch of the campaign follows a "surge of negationist activity" across social media and in public discourse. "The best solution, help, rescue for disinformation is information," he told AFP. Earlier this month, MEP Grzegorz Braun - a candidate in this year's Polish presidential election who garnered more than 6% of the vote - claimed in a radio interview that "Auschwitz with gas chambers is unfortunately fake". In May, the museum warned against Facebook posts featuring AI-generated fictional images of camp victims. The museum has long used its social media accounts to share authentic victim photos and information to raise Holocaust awareness. Nazi Germany built the death camp in the city of Oswiecim after occupying Poland during World War II. The Holocaust site has become a symbol of Nazi Germany's genocide of 6 million European Jews, 1 million of whom died at the camp between 1940 and 1945. More than 100 000 non-Jews also died at Auschwitz-Birkenau, including non-Jewish Poles, Roma, and Soviet soldiers.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Monster Energy Athletes Claim Podium Spots at 2025 UCI Downhill and Enduro Mountain Bike World Cup in Bielsko-Biala, Poland
Australian Team Rider Jack Moir Takes 2nd Place in the Elite Men's Enduro Race at Season Opener 29-Year-Old Amaury Pierron from Brioude, France, Claimed 3rd Place in the Elite Men Downhill Race BIELSKO-BIALA, Poland, May 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting the season on a high note! Monster Energy congratulates its mountain bike team riders on taking podium spots in the UCI Downhill Mountain Bike World Cup and UCI Enduro World Cup races in Bielsko-Biala, Poland, this weekend. In the Elite Men Enduro race on Saturday, 31-year-old Jack Moir from Morisset Park, Australia, claimed second place. The Elite Men Downhill race on Sunday concluded with 29-year-old Amaury Pierron from Brioude, France, claiming third place in a tight race. He was followed by 24-year-old French team rider Thibaut Daprela, who just missed the podium in fifth place. The Elite Women division race concluded with 35-year-old Camille Balanche from Le Locle, Switzerland, in fourth place. From May 16-18, the legendary trails of Bielsko-Biala welcomed the world elite of mountain bike racing to the hills of Southern Poland. The event marked the first race of the 2025 UCI Downhill Mountain Bike World Cup season as well as race two of the 2025 UCI Enduro World Cup, following the first round in Pietra Ligure, Italy. Race week in Poland was overshadowed by changing weather conditions that rendered the track slippery and muddy. Right before the finals, overnight rain and light snow added to the challenge. The podium run started on Saturday in the Elite Men Enduro final. When the dust settled, Jack Moir claimed second place with a final time 23:32.631. Moir showed his grit and climbed into third place in the second stage. In the fourth stage, Moir took the top spot on the DH+ trail with a time of 3:23.138. Moir also came out on top in the final stage and ended his race 6.040 behind the winner in second place. In Sunday's Elite Men Downhill race Amaury Pierron battled heavy competition and slippery track conditions to claim third place with a finish time of 3:05.675. Pierron held down the top spot after putting down a flawless run. When all was said and done, he finished 0.808 seconds behind the winner in a very close race. "I am very happy to boost back and finish on the podium," said Pierron. "I was fighting a small illness all week long and then didn't have the best qualifier after falling twice in Q1. I really can't complain after regrouping, making it through Q2, and putting together the best run I could. The conditions were crazy today, too! We saw snow, then rain - it was a river running down the track. Very happy to have survived that and take third to open the season! Bring on France!" In the Elite Women division final on Sunday, 35-year-old Camille Balanche from Le Locle, Switzerland, just missed the podium and took fourth place. Undeterred by the tough course conditions, Balanche finished the track with a 3:39.835 overall time. Stay tuned when the 2025 UCI Downhill Mountain Bike World Cup continues in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes, France, from May 30 to June 1. For more on Jack Moir, Amaury Pierron, Camille Balanche, Thibaut Daprela, and our team of mountain bike athletes, visit Follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok for updates from the 2025 mountain bike season. For interview or photo requests, contact Kim Dresser. About Monster Energy Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or the rock and roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its sports, athletes, and musicians represent. More than a drink, it's the way of life lived by athletes, bands, believers, and fans. See more about Monster Energy including all of its drinks at CONTACT: Kim Dresser C: (949) 300-5546 E: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Monster Energy Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
