Niektóre problemy polskiego hotelarstwa w gospodarce planowanej centralnie

Abstract

Investigating the hotel enterprise activity in the centrally planned economy, four periods can be distinguished. Between 1945–1956 most of the hotels have been taken over by the state. The division of the world was strengthened, the Iron Curtain separated countries under USSR influence from the rest of the world. For hotel industry it meant the lack of foreign tourism. The state monopolized the flow of foreign currency and in the 1950 for the illegal currency trade the death penalty was introduced. Hotels were used mainly as an accommodation for civil servant’s and state enterprises worker’s in business travel. The lack of accommodation facilities was complemented with private lodgings. In the second period, between 1957–1970, arrival tourism has started. A few modern hotels were erected. For foreign visitors higher accommodation prices and separate rules for hotel service payments were introduced. In the 1960 the ban for foreign currency possession by Polish citizens was canceled, however state monopoly in the flow of foreign currency still remained. In the third period, between 1971–1981, the attempt of economic development of Poland was undertaken supported by loans from West. In hotel industry it was revealed in the form of so called investment import – hotels build by foreign constructors. The significant development of the arrival and departure truism took place. This period was ended with introduction of the material law and suspending many of investments, including hotel facilities. In the last period between 1982–1990, shortly after material low abolishing the arrival tourism has started to return to its prior dimensions, however for hotel industry it was the period of stagnation – admittedly about 8 thousands beds were added, but in the same time about 200 thousands beds in holiday centers were vanished. The number of reforms limiting the state’s direct economy management has been undertaken. Despite of the well known disadvantages of centrally planned economy, there were also some inconveniences specific for hotel industry. Management sphere. As a result of economy departmental division intro-duced in 1950, the supervision over lodging services was assigned to the ministry of municipal economy, whereas food service was assigned to the ministry of trade. Thereby in one hotel two enterprises were functioning – first one, providing lodging facilities and second one, providing food service facilities. Since those two enterprises had separate and sometimes contradictory interests – the term of complex hotel service has disappeared. The exception to this rule were ‘Orbis’ hotels, where this division did not occur, however in the 1957 there were only 12 ‘Orbis’ hotels with 9.3% beds. Only in the beginnings of 1970s the regional tourism enterprises have started to be established. They also took over the gastronomy works located in the hotels. In the 1950 foreign currency became more political then economic problem. After 1956, together with the renewing of foreign arrival tourism, the problem of foreign currency has started to complicate. Different rates of exchange for Polish citizens, foreigners and also for different types of transaction were established e.g. in foreign trade transactions the rate of US dollar was 4 PLN, in case of cash exchange by foreigner it was 24 PLN, and after abolishing the ban of possessing foreign currency by Polish citizens in 1960 – dollars were bought up from them for 72 PLN. For the purpose to increase economic effects of the foreign tourism, the obligatory foreign currency exchange for every single day of given visa was introduced at the compulsory, reduced rate. In the 1962 it was 20 US dollars per day, whereas average monthly salary according to the rate used towards citizens was about 30 US dollars. The second important element was the higher prices of hotel facilities for foreign visitors only in zloty from exchange in public purses. Different rates established by the state created the wide margin for black market. It became one of the pretexts for special services activity in hotels. Hotel investments were not the priority of state – the only investor. Together with the development of foreign arrival tourism the number of hotels constructions were undertaken, however shortly afterwards the building works were prolonging up to 10–15 years (it also concerned other investments e.g. hospitals). The situation has changed in 1970s thank to foreign loans, when the construction of hotels for ‘Orbis’ with about 10 thousands beds was started. In the 1982 every fifth lodging place was in the hotels erected by foreign contractors. It generated however some problems. Import of replacement parts, finishing (wallpapers, lining) and technical service from abroad was not possible. To maintain efficiency of foreign installations Polish hoteliers had to use their own imaginary, however with time the wear and tear of hotels were visible. This process was restrained only in 1989, when the state started to limit foreign currency restrictions. The employment was separate issue which in Novohotels in Poland turned out to be triple higher then in the same type of hotels in France. The employment in Polish hotels has started do decrease only in the transformation period, when the labour market was being created and the labour law became more flexible. The essential meaning had also the change of general market situation, what gave the opportunity to resign from onerous endeavors for goods supplying and storing of relatively significant reserves. Prices policy established by the state was aiming two different directions. First one was an equalization of service market supported with the prices towards insufficient supply and this aim was achieved throughout the intro-duction of several percentage price increases every few years. The second aim was to attain maximal incomes per bed from foreign visitors, throughout calculating the beds prices for foreign and Polish visitors. In the 1970s the prices paid by foreign visitors were close to prices level in the foreign countries. First tendencies of market facilitation appeared in hotel industry relatively early. In 1974 the state gave enterprises an opportunity to free decision about prices in gastronomy plants of higher category. From the 1982 hotels could, in their own range, calculate the price of lodging places for Polish visitors, however prices for foreign visitors were still defined by the state. Only in March 1989 the obligation of foreign currency exchange in public purses has been abolished, and in January 1990 the rule of foreigner’s payments for lodging in foreign currency was derestricted. From the 1990 hotels were obligated to equalize prices for national and foreign visitors, what was not easy as in this moment in some hotels the prices paid by foreign visitors were even 12–16 times higher then prices for national visitors.