A hard time to be accommodating

Between 2012 and 2019, the number of tourists in Poland grew from 13.5 mln to 23.5 mln, according to figures from Emmerson Evaluation. Over the same period, occupancy levels in hotels rose from 43.6 pct to 53.7 pct. The hotel market was clearly growing steadily, with demand seeming to outstrip supply. But it all came crashing down in 2020. Investment volumes in hotels since then has been miserable. During the lockdowns, hotels were not allowed to take in guests and in effect went out of business – and even today, current regulations mean that they are only allowed to operate at 75 pct capacity (although with the loophole that vaccinated guests with Covid passports are not counted in this figure). Despite all of this, the market does not appear completely moribund and a number of hotels openings have even recently been announced, including the Radisson Resort Kołobrzeg and a Focus Hotel in Elbląg. The question, however, remains as to how Covid has altered the market and whether