Growing Economy & Tourism
ECONOMY
A growing
economic hub
Kraków is one of Poland's most important economic centres and the economic hub of the Malopolska region. About 50 large multinational companies in the city, including Google, IBM, Royal Dutch Shell, Motorola, Delphi, MAN SE, General Electric, Aon Hewitt, Hitachi, Philip Morris, Capgemini and Sabre Holdings along with other British, German and Scandinavian-based firms. The city is also the global headquarters for Comarch, the Polish leader in enterprise software.
The success of the capital of Małopolskie voivodeship is certainly made up of several key elements. The decisive one is human capital - Kraków has over 804 thousand inhabitants, of which over 130 thousand are students*.
As the second largest city in Poland, it has very good conditions for conducting business activity, especially of an innovative nature. According to the Statistical Office in Kraków, the unemployment rate in this city was 1.9% in December 2023, which is below the national average of 5.1% in this period**.
Kraków is the second most visited city in Poland by foreigners after Warsaw. In the World Investment Report of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) from 2011, Kraków was recognized as the best developing location for investments in global BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) projects in the world. In 2024, the city’s budget amounted to 8 billion 558 million zlotys.
Strategic investments in 2024 will be dominated by tasks related to the urban transport system. In the field of infrastructure, the city will benefit from two key road investments carried out by GDDKiA, namely the construction of the S7 expressway, which will shorten the driving time between Warsaw and Kraków, and the construction of the northern bypass of Kraków along the S52 expressway, which will relieve the streets of Kraków from transit traffic.
In the field of transport, the city will complete the reconstruction (along with the track) of Kościuszki and Zwierzyniecka streets, and will also start the construction of a tram line from Meissnera Street to Mistrzejowice with a tunnel under the Polsad roundabout. In addition, the city will build a new street of the 8th Lancers Regiment, which will uncork Ruczaj, and a new bridge Kazimierz-Ludwinów, improving pedestrian and bicycle communication between the two banks of the Vistula*.
*Gazeta Krakowska
Cracovia Business Centre
TOURISM
More than 9.4 million
tourists in 2023
Kraków is a city with a rich history, culture and attractions that attracts millions of tourists from all over the world. In 2022 it was visited by 8.4 million guests, and in 2023, as many as 9.4 million.
Kraków is popular among different groups of tourists, both domestic and foreign. In 2023, there was a significant increase in the number of visitors from abroad - 157% more than in 2022. Most guests came from Germany (23%), USA (18%) and Great Britain (15%). Kraków offers them not only monuments, museums and galleries, but also cultural events, entertainment and local cuisine.
During their stay in Kraków in 2023, guests spent 6.2 billion, of which 1.1 billion was spent by foreign tourists. This means that percentage-wise, foreign tourists spent about 18% of the total tourist expenditure in Kraków in 2023, and domestic tourists about 82%.
What is also important, Kraków is perceived by tourists as a very safe city. According to a survey conducted by the Tourism Development Office in Kraków, most tourists visiting the city in 2023 rated security as very high or high. Therefore, Kraków is considered one of the safest cities in Poland and Europe.
Source: Gazeta Krakowska