Polish architects appeal for tourism-based heritage funding

The National Council of the Chamber of Architects of the Republic of Poland and the Main Board of the Association of Monument Conservators have issued an appeal to the Polish government, the Sejm, and the Senate. They are calling for the creation of a permanent legislative mechanism to fund the protection of Poland's cultural heritage.

The organizations propose that a portion of revenues generated from tourism should be legally earmarked for the conservation, revitalization, and protection of historical urban spaces and monuments. They argue that while cultural heritage is a primary driver of the tourism economy—benefiting hotels, restaurants, and local businesses—the financial burden of maintaining these sites currently falls disproportionately on owners, local governments, and the state.

As a potential model, the appeal references the 'spomenička renta' system used in Croatia, where the economic use of heritage is linked to co-financing its preservation. The groups suggest that current legislative work regarding local taxes, personal income tax, and civil law transaction tax provides a historic opportunity to establish this stable funding mechanism.