The three-day EuroGastro trade fair kicked off at Ptak Warsaw Expo on 10 March, pulling more than 20,000 visitors and 300 foreign exhibitors in the hospitality-equipment sector. Organiser MT Targi reports that Turkey, India and South Korea account for the fastest-growing exhibitor segments, with many participants navigating Poland’s new digital visa-application portal for the first time. Poland’s consulates in Istanbul and Mumbai each processed over 1,200 short-stay business-visa files tied to the show—up 35 percent from the 2024 edition—thanks in part to “group booking” letters accepted by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. While most attendees enter on Schengen C-visas, larger suppliers bringing in demo kitchen units valued above €50,000 must secure temporary-import carnets and register truck drivers under the EU Mobility Package rules. Warsaw hotels report occupancy levels above 90 percent, and LOT Polish Airlines added ad-hoc evening rotations from Istanbul and Seoul to meet demand. However, some exhibitors complained that biometric enrolment slots at Polish visa centres were fully booked by mid-January, forcing last-minute re-routing through neighbouring Czech Republic. Trade-show travel remains a bellwether for European corporate mobility. EuroGastro’s rebound suggests Poland is regaining its pre-pandemic role as a regional MICE hub, but it also highlights capacity constraints in the Schengen visa-processing chain now that consulates rely on the MOS system and external service providers.
Source: CNS Travel Solutions / MT Targi
