Saturday, 1 November 2025
Poland’s short-term rental market saw a marked increase in activity during the first quarter of 2025, as data from Statistics Poland (GUS) show that tourists made 1.1 million online bookings through major digital platforms — a 17% rise compared with the same period last year.
The number of overnight stays reached 7.2 million, up 11.2% year-on-year, underscoring the continued popularity of short-stay accommodation offered via platforms such as Airbnb, Booking.com, and Expedia. The data, collected in cooperation with the European Commission, reflect only rentals listed through these providers and do not represent the entire Polish accommodation market.
Domestic demand drives growth
Polish tourists were the key growth driver in early 2025. Domestic bookings accounted for nearly three-quarters (73.8%) of all stays, rising 24.6% from last year to 0.8 million. By contrast, bookings by foreign visitors fell marginally — down 0.1% year-on-year to 0.3 million.
Among the country’s 16 regions, Małopolskie Voivodship (which includes Kraków and Zakopane) recorded the highest number of bookings — 222,000, followed by Mazowieckie (Warsaw region) with 203,000, and Dolnośląskie (Wrocław region) with 155,000. Together, these three regions accounted for over half of all overnight stays made via booking platforms.
The Opolskie region, while the smallest market, recorded the fastest growth rate — up 37% year-on-year, albeit from a low base.
Foreign travellers’ profile
Foreign visitors accounted for 26.2% of bookings and spent 2.4 million nights in total. The largest groups came from Ukraine (15%), Germany (14.4%), the United Kingdom (5.2%), the Czech Republic (4.8%), and Spain (4.2%). More than half of all foreign tourists (55%) originated from EU countries.
Major city and resort performance
When combining platform data with traditional accommodation statistics, Warsaw led the market with 2.8 million overnight stays, including 1.8 million by Polish tourists and 1 million by foreign visitors. Kraków followed with 2.2 million, while the Tatra County, home to Zakopane, ranked third with 1.9 million overnight stays.
For 2024 as a whole, GUS recorded 134.4 million overnight stays across all tourist accommodation in Poland, up 8.6% from 2023. Warsaw, Kraków, and the seaside Kołobrzeg County were the top-performing destinations.
Broader context
The data reinforce the continued expansion of Poland’s short-term rental market and the rising role of digital booking platforms in shaping tourism demand. Domestic travel remains the main growth engine, supported by a robust economy, improved mobility, and diversified tourism infrastructure.
At the same time, the slight dip in foreign bookings suggests that while inbound tourism remains stable, competition across Central Europe is intensifying. The next GUS update, due in mid-2026, will shed further light on how these early-year trends translate into the peak travel season.
Source: Statistics Poland (GUS), Rental of Tourist Accommodation Establishments in Poland via Booking Platforms in the First Quarter of 2025, published 31 October 2025.
