This year's winter holidays brought a 20-percent increase in Poles' interest in foreign trips. The undisputed leader turned out to be Egypt, which displaced the previous favorite – Turkey. Olsztyn-Mazury Airport recorded success, with flights to Marsa Alam flying almost fully booked. Travel agencies are already launching sales for the summer season, introducing new connections to Albania and Turkey to their offers.
Egypt the new leader
The land of the pharaohs replaced Turkey as the most frequently chosen winter destination, recording record interest during the winter holidays.
Success of Szymany airport
Olsztyn-Mazury Airport ended the winter season with aircraft occupancy at 95%, confirming the potential of regional airports.
Albania an economic hit
Tirana joins the summer flight network, becoming one of the most important alternatives to expensive resorts in Western Europe.
This year's winter season in Polish tourism was marked by the clear dominance of exotic and Middle Eastern destinations. According to industry data, the number of families deciding to vacation outside the country increased by 20 percent compared to last year. Although Turkey had led for years, in 2026, Egypt won the hearts and wallets of Poles. Particular success was noted in regional airports, such as Szymany, where the average occupancy of charter aircraft reached an impressive 95 percent. The last flight from Marsa Alam will land at the Masurian airport on February 24, thus closing an extremely successful winter cycle. Charter tourism in Poland has been developing dynamically since the 1990s, but the real boom for regional airports occurred after Poland's accession to the European Union in 2004, which facilitated air operations and removed many legal barriers.When planning trips during this period, tourists had to consider cultural issues, as February 2026 coincided with the start of Ramadan. The holy month of Muslims involves specific rules for the functioning of public spaces in countries such as Egypt or the United Arab Emirates. Despite these conditions, interest in offers from Itaka and other market leaders did not wane. 95% — was the average occupancy of flights from SzymanyIn response to the record results, tour operators have already prepared offers for summer 2026. From Olsztyn-Mazury Airport, travelers will be able to go to Antalya in Turkey and Tirana in Albania. The latter is becoming an increasingly serious competitor to traditional Mediterranean resorts thanks to affordable prices and modern infrastructure. Experts predict that the trend of booking holidays well in advance (first minute) will continue due to the desire to avoid inflationary last-minute price increases.