Croatia Puts Dalmatian Heritage in Focus for Polish Travellers Exploring Asia – Travel And Tour World

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Croatia attracts Polish tourists through its views, historic cities, and Adriatic cuisine. However, the number of people traveling to Vietnam increases due to the fact that Polish tourists discover Asia. Within the first ten months of 2026, Vietnam saw a growth in the number of Polish travelers by 45.8%. In addition, there is an increase in flights between Warsaw and Bangkok, providing an additional option for vacationers to visit the region. On the other hand, the number of tourists from Poland who came to Sri Lanka within the same ten-month period was lower. It does not imply that Croatia has become less attractive.

A city built on trade

Hoi An grew as a trading port between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries. Merchants came from across Asia and from other parts of the world. Today, visitors can still see old timber buildings and the town’s original street plan.

The town’s heritage gives it a story beyond its lanterns and riverside views. Kwiatkowski’s role in protecting Hoi An adds another layer. A Polish traveller can explore a Vietnamese town while learning about a Polish architect who helped save it.

The Polish architect known as Kazik

Kwiatkowski was known in Vietnam as Kazik. His conservation work included Hoi An and the My Son Sanctuary. The Polish prime minister’s visit placed that history back in the public eye.

It also created an opportunity for local guides and heritage groups to explain what the architect did and why his work matters today. The visit alone does not show how many Polish tourists travel to Hoi An. Vietnam’s national figures cover the whole country. That gap creates a useful question for a follow-up story.

My Son adds another reason to visit

My Son Sanctuary sits in a valley surrounded by mountains. Its brick temples preserve the history of the Champa civilisation. A trip that joins My Son and Hoi An can bring together two different parts of central Vietnam’s past.

One stop tells the story of a port open to international trade. The other shows the beliefs and buildings of the Champa people. Together, they give visitors more to explore than a beach or resort alone. The sites also offer a clear cultural route for travellers staying in the region.

Hoi An offers clear ticket prices

Hoi An’s heritage centre lists two ticket prices. One costs 80,000 Vietnamese dong. The other costs 120,000 dong. Both include access to the general old-town area and a choice of one landmark.

The higher-priced ticket includes one museum site and a choice of three further monuments. Visitors can use a ticket for up to three days during their stay. These details help travellers plan a visit before they arrive. They also show how heritage tourism can support historic sites.

A proper holiday comparison still needs more than an entry ticket. Flights, hotels, transfers and meals all affect the final bill.

Vietnam’s Polish market grows quickly

Vietnam recorded a 45.8% rise in Polish arrivals during the first ten months of 2026. Across all international markets, the country welcomed about 19.5 million visitors, up 13.8% year on year. This means the Polish market grew much faster than Vietnam’s total inbound market.

The figures make Vietnam a strong part of the article’s Asian angle. They do not show that Polish travellers chose Vietnam instead of Croatia. They also do not say how many visited Hoi An, Phu Quoc or other coastal destinations. The national trend should remain separate from local visitor numbers.

Asia supplies most visitors to Vietnam

Asia remained Vietnam’s largest source region in the first ten months of 2026. It supplied about 14.6 million arrivals, or close to three quarters of the total. Europe grew faster as a region, with arrivals rising 51.5%.

European markets added about 1.09 million visits compared with the same period in 2025. Poland was one of the European markets that grew. Russia remained Europe’s largest source market for Vietnam. This mix gives the article useful context. Vietnam relies on visitors from nearby Asian countries, while growth from Europe is adding another source of demand.

Polish visitors can stay up to 45 days

Polish tourists can visit Vietnam without a visa for up to 45 days under a government measure that runs until 14 August 2028. Visitors must still meet the country’s entry rules. Their passport must be valid for at least six months on arrival.

A longer visa-free stay can make it easier to plan a trip across several regions. A traveller might spend time in Hanoi, visit central Vietnam and continue to an island. The policy was already in place before the Polish prime minister’s October visit. It helps explain the travel conditions that existed during the period when arrivals rose.

Travellers need to complete an arrival form

The visa waiver does not remove every step before travel. Foreign passport holders arriving at Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Phu Quoc airports must complete an electronic pre-arrival form. Travellers must complete it within three days before arrival. The system creates a QR code for border control.

Passengers who stay in transit and do not pass through border control are exempt. This is a practical detail for anyone planning a Vietnam trip. Tour operators and travel writers should include it beside visa information, so travellers know what to prepare before boarding.

Warsaw’s new Asian links

Polish travellers have more direct options to parts of Asia. LOT began scheduled Warsaw–Bangkok flights in October 2026. A Warsaw–Hanoi route is scheduled to start on 31 March 2027, with three flights each week.

The Hanoi service comes after the growth in Polish arrivals to Vietnam during 2026. It will give travellers a direct link to the Vietnamese capital. Visitors heading to Hoi An or the islands will still need to plan an onward journey. The route may support future travel demand, but it cannot explain arrivals recorded before it opens.

Thailand already attracts Polish visitors

Thailand welcomed 164,807 Polish visitors between January and September 2026. That was a 12% rise from the same period in 2025. LOT’s first scheduled Warsaw–Bangkok flight arrived on 8 October.

The growth in Polish visitors began before the new service started. The route gives travellers another way to reach Bangkok and may make trip planning easier. Thailand’s tourism authority says Polish visitors also travel to coastal places such as Phuket, Krabi and Ko Samui.

Future visitor figures will show how demand changes after the route launch. The flight’s arrival alone does not prove that the service caused the earlier growth.

The Bangkok route expands for winter

LOT started the Bangkok service with three flights per week. From 26 October 2026 through March 2027, the schedule rose to five flights per week. The service offers up to 1,260 inbound seats each week during the winter schedule.

That number shows the capacity available. It does not show how many seats travellers bought or where passengers went after landing. The schedule should help Polish visitors plan trips around more departure days. It could also make it easier for Thai tourism businesses to sell longer holidays. Passenger numbers and hotel stays will provide a clearer measure of its effect.

Krabi had Polish charter flights first

Thailand’s link with Polish holidaymakers began before the scheduled Bangkok service. In December 2024, a LOT charter flight brought 294 Polish passengers from Warsaw to Krabi. The airline also operated seasonal charter flights to Bangkok and Phuket.

These routes connected Polish travellers with established resort areas. A regular service to Bangkok works differently. It offers more departure dates and lets visitors arrange their own onward travel. A family heading to Krabi may need a separate transfer from the capital. The full journey time and price matter when comparing Thailand with a coastal holiday in Croatia.

Rayong enters the visitor conversation

Thailand is also trying to bring visitors beyond its best-known destinations. In October, the tourism authority organised a familiarisation trip that took Polish travel operators and media representatives from Bangkok to Rayong.

The aim was to introduce tourism products and support new travel itineraries. Rayong gives local businesses a chance to reach visitors who may otherwise stay in Bangkok or go straight to a major resort. The results remain to be measured. Tourism officials can look at later bookings, guest arrivals and overnight stays to see whether the visit helped bring more travellers to the province.

A two-week holiday shapes the choice

Thailand’s tourism authority says Polish visitors stay for about 14 days on average and spend around 68,800 baht per person per trip. A two-week holiday gives visitors time to combine a city stay with a coastal stop.

It also means travellers must decide whether another transfer is worth the time and expense. The spending figure is an average reported by the authority. It is not the price of a specific family holiday. Travellers still need to compare fares, accommodation, baggage, meals and transfers for their own dates. Those details matter more than a broad claim that one destination is cheaper.

Sri Lanka shows a different pattern

Sri Lanka recorded 28,121 arrivals from Poland between January and October 2026. The official monthly figures for the same months in 2025 total 37,788. That means Polish arrivals fell by about 25.6%. The latest report then counted 28,515 Polish visitors through 5 November 2026.

These numbers show that Asian destinations did not all see the same trend. Vietnam’s Polish market grew quickly, Thailand’s visitor numbers rose, and Sri Lanka recorded fewer Polish arrivals over the ten-month comparison. A careful article should explain these differences rather than describe Asia as one market with one result.

Sri Lanka’s arrivals were concentrated early

Sri Lanka recorded 10,334 arrivals from Poland in January and 10,467 in February 2026. Together, those two months made up almost 74% of Polish arrivals through October. The monthly total fell sharply in March.

Sri Lanka’s tourism authority linked the wider national decline that month to disruption at Gulf transit hubs. Its report provides context for a difficult month in the country’s tourism figures. It does not explain the choices of individual Polish travellers. The early-year concentration also suggests that holiday timing may matter. A winter trip to Asia and a later summer break on the Adriatic can both fit into one year.

Galle offers another heritage coast

Sri Lanka’s Galle Fort gives travellers another way to experience the history of an Asian port. The Portuguese founded the town in the sixteenth century. Its architecture reflects both European styles and South Asian traditions.

The fort and its streets offer a different coastal story from Hoi An, but both destinations grew through trade and contact across regions. Including Galle broadens the article beyond Vietnam and Thailand. It also reminds readers that cultural heritage can shape a beach holiday. A visitor may choose a destination for its history, food and town life as well as the coast.

Dalmatia still attracts Polish visitors

Croatia continues to record Polish demand. Across the country, Polish tourists spent 5.1% more nights in commercial accommodation in September 2026 than in September 2025. In Split-Dalmatia County, tourists from all source markets recorded about 2.5 million nights, up 0.7%.

These are different measures. One follows Polish guests across Croatia. The other records activity from every market in one county. Together, they show that Dalmatia’s tourism activity remained positive while Asian destinations were also attracting Polish travellers. The figures do not reveal whether visitors considered Croatia and Asia as alternatives. A survey would be needed to answer that question.

Price growth needs careful context

Croatia’s consumer price index showed that restaurant and accommodation prices rose 6.5% year on year in September 2026. The same category fell 2.5% from August. Both figures can be true because they compare different time periods.

The annual measure compares September 2026 with September 2025. The monthly measure compares it with August 2026. These figures offer context for the price discussion, but they do not show the cost of a specific Dalmatian holiday. To compare destinations fairly, a report should use the same dates, trip length and number of travellers. It should include flights, hotels, transfers, meals and fees.

Dubrovnik is courting South Korea

Croatia is also building tourism links with Asia. In April 2026, the Croatian tourism board held a presentation in Seoul for Korean travel agencies and media. Dubrovnik joined representatives from Zagreb and Istria.

This gives the story a useful two-way view. Thailand introduced Polish travel operators to Rayong. Croatia promoted its destinations to South Korean partners. Each activity seeks to turn trade interest into visitors and spending. The next step is to check the results. New data on Korean arrivals and overnight stays in Dubrovnik can show whether the promotion brought measurable demand.

The next test is how travellers plan

Polish visitors now have a scheduled route to Bangkok, while a direct Warsaw–Hanoi service is planned for 2027. Vietnam also offers Polish tourists a visa-free stay of up to 45 days under its current programme.

These changes create more ways to plan an Asian holiday. They do not prove that travellers will cancel trips to Dalmatia. Some may visit Asia in winter and Croatia in summer. Others may choose one trip over another. Tourism authorities can count flights and overnight stays. To learn how travellers make that choice, they will need to ask visitors and tour operators directly.

Croatia has a new story to tell

However, Croatia has several Asian competitors who are offering new routes and are giving tourists more options. For instance, Vietnam had 45.8% more Polish tourists during the first ten months of 2026 than Croatia did. Also, Thailand is operating direct flights from Warsaw to Bangkok. However, the number of Polish tourists visiting Sri Lanka during the same period of time was less compared to Croatia. This does not mean that tourists are now deserting Dalmatia. It just shows how factors such as accessibility, season, and culture affect the vacation plans of people.