Some earn money, while everyone contributes. The National Council of the Chamber of Architects of the Republic of Poland and the Executive Board of the Association of Historic Preservationists have appealed to the government to use ongoing legislative efforts to create a new mechanism for financing the preservation of Poland’s cultural heritage. The organizations propose that a portion of the funds from the tourist tax be allocated to the preservation of historic monuments.
Tourism is a vital sector of the Polish economy, generating billions of zlotys in revenue each year. While most of the profits go into the pockets of private entrepreneurs, the cost of protecting the heritage—on which the tourism industry is, after all, based—is borne by the owners of historic sites, residents, local governments, and the state. The National Council of the Chamber of Architects of the Republic of Poland and the Executive Board of the Association of Historic Preservationists propose that legislative efforts related to the tourist tax include a mechanism that permanently alleviates the financial burden on entities responsible for preserving and maintaining our heritage:
If Poland’s cultural heritage is one of the cornerstones of our tourism and local economies, then a portion of the economic value it generates should be allocated to its protection. We do not need yet another grant program, but rather a permanent, statutory mechanism ensuring funding for the conservation and restoration of historic monuments, now and in the future
—argues Borysław Czarakcziew, President of the National Council of the Chamber of Architects of the Republic of Poland.
An appeal from architects and historic preservationists to the government
Below is the full text of the appeal from the National Council of the Chamber of Architects of the Republic of Poland and the Executive Board of the Association of Historic Preservationists:
APPEAL REGARDING THE ALLOCATION OF A PORTION OF THE TOURIST TAX FOR THE PROTECTION OF POLAND’S HERITAGE
As representatives of organizations representing the architectural and historic preservation communities, we appeal to take advantage of the ongoing legislative work on the draft bill amending the Act on Local Taxes and Fees, the Personal Income Tax Act, and the Act on Tax on Civil Law Transactions to establish a permanent mechanism for allocating a portion of the revenue generated from these sources to the protection, conservation, and restoration of Poland’s cultural heritage.
We see this as a historic opportunity.
Poland, which is now among the world’s twenty largest economies, should aspire to create a stable financial foundation for preserving its heritage for future generations. Meanwhile, we still lack a systemic mechanism that would link the economic benefits generated by our heritage to the funding of its protection.
This relationship is particularly evident in tourism. Historic sites, historic cities, and the cultural landscape are among the fundamental assets of the Polish tourism industry. It is these very assets that attract millions of tourists to Kraków, Gdańsk, Warsaw, Wrocław, Toruń, Zamość, and many other destinations.
The tourism industry derives measurable economic benefits from this resource, while the costs of its preservation, maintenance, and the impacts of heavy tourist traffic are borne primarily by the owners of historic sites, residents, local governments, and the state.
The profits derived from the use of this heritage should not be privatized, and the costs of preserving it should not be socialized. Many European countries have systems based on a different principle. One example is Croatia, where, alongside a system of tourist fees, there is a statutory mechanism known as the “spomenička renta,” under which the economic use of heritage helps fund its protection.
We therefore urge that Poland also adopt a simple principle: a portion of the economic value generated by cultural heritage should be reinvested in that heritage. A specified portion of the funds derived from the tourist fee should be legally allocated to the conservation, restoration, and protection of monuments, as well as the historic areas of cities and towns particularly burdened by tourist traffic.
With deep conviction and concern for the future of Poland’s heritage, we call upon the Government, the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, and the Senate of the Republic of Poland to complete the legislative work as soon as possible and to include this proposal in the law. This is not a call for yet another grant program. It is an opportunity to create a sustainable mechanism that Poland has lacked until now.
In the public interest and out of a sense of responsibility toward future generations, we appeal: let us seize this historic opportunity.
The appeal was signed by Borys Czarakcziew, President of the National Council of the Chamber of Architects of the Republic of Poland, and Jacek Rulewicz, President of the Executive Board of the Association of Historic Preservationists. The letter is addressed to Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Speaker of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland Włodzimierz Czarzasty, and President of the Senate of the Republic of Poland Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska.
