Kraków at Pulaski Parade in New York

On 5-8 October 2024 Mayor Aleksander Miszalski travelled to New York to take part in the annual 87th Pulaski Parade but also to meet with representatives of the Polish community, tourism and business.

Together with representatives of LOT Polish Airlines and the Kraków Tourism Alliance, the mayor has been campaigning for the opening of a permanent flight connection between Kraków and New York. Currently, direct flights are only operated seasonally. A year-round connection would open the way to American investment in Kraków, which is why the delegation met not only with associations of tourist agencies, but also chambers of commerce and Polish and American entrepreneurs.

The mayor was in New York at the invitation of the Pulaski Parade Committee, which walked down Fifth Avenue in Manhattan for the 87th time. The Polish parade has been held the New York since 1937. The Irish-American St Patrick's Day Parade inaugurated in 1762 is the only ethnic event older than ours. Thousands of participants marched with red and white flags, sashes and balloons. Among them were veterans, scouts, representatives of parishes and Polish organisations, as well as artists, schoolchildren and students.

The final day of mayor's trip was devoted to meetings with entrepreneurs and American business associations. Courtesy of the Consul General of the Republic of Poland in New York, Mr Mateusz Sakowicz, a presentation was organised for representatives of Polish-American business associations: USA Pulaski Assocation of Business and Professional Men Inc., Eastern European Business Group Leader, Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU), PAIH, Pulaski Business Assiation, Polish-American Business Association and representatives of large companies and investors gathered at the Business Council for International Understanding and the European-American Chamber of Commerce New York. Also present were representatives of Motorola Solutions and Ernst&Young, i.e. companies that already know Kraków, appreciate and recommend it as a friendly environment for work and investment. Motorola has been operating in Kraków for 26 years and hires 2700 employees.

Promotion of Kraków and Poland in the USA enables our city to open new paths of development. The delegation to the USA is another step towards increasing Kraków's potential on the international arena, but also a great opportunity for the city, providing new economic and investment opportunities.