Poland tipped for stag party boom

Based on the number of orders taken so far, Stag Republic the leading stag party organiser in Eastern Europe, expects more stag groups than ever to arrive in Budapest in 2007. The company also launched tours to Warsaw and Krakow in 2006 and sees Poland as the next boom area for stag tourism.

"The market is growing rapidly throughout Central Europe," says Josey Walker, Stag Republic managing director. "Where ten years ago, it was just Prague, people can now choose from dozens of destinations, many of them attracting over 1,000 groups a year." He expects up-and-coming cities like Budapest and Bratislava to attract more weekenders than ever in 2007.

"Bookings for Budapest stag weekends this year are already 50 per cent up on the same period last year, and this reflects a general trend in the market," he says. Stag Republic organised tours to Budapest for over 400 groups in 2006 and, based on the level of interest so far, is looking to break 600 this year. Walker also expects more of the same in the Slovak capital. "Although Bratislava is only a quarter of the size of Budapest, it looks set to keep pace, with the number of groups exceeding 1000," he adds.

The rise of the Eastern European stag weekend has been well publicised in cities like Budapest, Bratislava and, more recently the Baltic States. Strangely, Poland has yet to be discovered. "Poland has certainly been left behind and is only just starting to catch the wave," says Walker. He blames this partly on a public perception of Poland that has failed to keep pace with the realities of a fast-growing, vibrant economy. "It's very difficult to explain, Poland offers everything a stag group could ever want," he says.

Stag Republic started offering tours to Warsaw and Krakow last year and is hoping to add Lodz this spring. "Poland is not really on the map at the moment, so it definitely has huge growth potential. People will be really surprised at how modern, stylish and cosmopolitan these cities are - and they will be blown away by the nightlife," says the stag organizer with a twinkle in his eye.

He believes that groups adventurous enough to steer clear of overcrowded stag destinations like Prague and Vilnius will be richly rewarded by choosing Warsaw or Krakow. "Budapest will continue to grow in popularity, but you will be hearing much, much more from Poland in 2007," predicts Walker.

Find out more by visiting stagrepublic.co.uk.