22 August 2010

POLAND: Beach Scene Reflects Economy ;Too Many "Staycations."

GPOST/ JAN CIENSKI /      "The beach in Wladyslawowo, one of Poland’s premier seaside destinations, is so packed with baking Poles that it is difficult to take a step without standing on someone — but to regular beach-goers, the view is actually pretty dismal, in large part because of the economic crisis. “I can see empty spaces on the beach — on a normal year it would be even more packed,” said Aleksander Andrzejewski, who runs the Solmare guesthouse just steps from the beach. The economic crisis is keeping Poles closer to home, with travel agencies reporting a fall in interest in foreign holidays thanks in large measure to the recent gyrations of the zloty caused by the Greek meltdown."