The National Meeting of Travellers, Sailors and Alpinists
- Gdynia 2010

Gdynia hosts the annual meetings of globetrotters from entire Poland. The National Meeting of Travellers, Sailors and Alpinists in Gdynia has been organized by the City of Gdynia and MART agency from Cracow since 1999, the final of the 'Kolosy' competition accompanies it, forming the most prestigious travel event in Poland.

During the meeting that this year took place on 12-14 March, thousands of visitors have an opportunity to meet the most famous travellers of our times, such as Krystyna Chojnowska-Listkiewicz, Marek Kamiński or Krzysztof Baranowski. The meetings are divided into three categories - Water, Travel and Achievement & Mountains, which guarantees finding interesting issues for everyone. This event promotes virtues of distant African and Asian countries as well as areas of the Baltic Sea. The meeting as well as the 'Kolosy' competition promotes an active lifestyle, teaches tolerance and care for preserving world cultural and natural heritage. It encourages young people to fulfil their own dreams. In order to assist them with that, since 2002 the Mayor of Gdynia has been presenting the award of Andrzej Zawada which constitutes of 10000 PLN grant that helps travellers to accomplish ambitious plans. The winners are chosen basing on their current achievements, originality and quality of the project that is to be realized. This initiative influences promotion of the region, often abroad. Essential elements of the Meeting are also: integration of the travellers' community, skill-sharing, training by colleagues. Thanks to such event Gdynia becomes the capital of travel world for a few days in a year.

This year's edition with its rich programme attracted record crowds. Visitors enjoyed meetings with experienced travellers - Elżbieta Dzikowska and Wojciech Cejrowski as well as presentations of young globetrotters putting first but brave steps in the world of explorations and achievements. The wide audience enjoyed additional attractions like seminars, climbing walls and getting acquainted with offers at a book fair organised this year for the first time presenting travel press as well as stands offering tourist equipment and clothes. At a few separate exhibitions we could see many colourful pictures taken during exotic journeys.