Kraków appoints “night mayor” to reconcile tourists, residents and business owners

Kraków has appointed a “night mayor” who will be responsible for reconciling the needs of the city’s residents, business owners and tourists. Jacek Jordan, a historian and tourist guide with 18 years of experience, was on Tuesday named as the first person to hold the office.

“Amsterdam, Toulouse, Florence, Prague and, as of today, Kraków also has its own night mayor,” wrote city hall, referring to other places in Europe that have created officials with similar responsibilities.

With its medieval market square and UNESCO-listed Old Town, Kraków is Poland’s most popular tourist spot. Last year, over seven million tourists visited the city, which is regularly named as one of Europe’s best city break destinations.

While that is a boon to the local economy, it also often causes tensions with local residents, who complain about noise and disruption.

In 2020, the city formed a partnership with Airbnb to promote responsible and sustainable tourism. The following year, it launched a “tourist patrol scheme” to inform visitors of the “rules and norms they should follow”. In 2023, it banned the sale of alcohol in shops during the night.

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In his new role as “night mayor”, Jordan will be responsible for overseeing activities relating to Kraków’s night-time economy. He will also head a “sustainable nightlife commission” comprised of representatives from the city council, neighbourhood councils, businesses and informal residents’ groups.

“Kraków’s historical and cultural heritage is so rich that we must not let it be taken over by partying,” said Jordan. “My task will be to talk to and negotiate with three groups of stakeholders: residents, businesses and tourists. Each of them needs to understand where their vested interest is and where the good of the city is.”

During a meeting with journalists and residents, Jordan noted the biggest problem regarding Kraków’s nightlife is noise. He believes it is necessary to find locations in the city centre where nightlife can be established and redirected away from the historic market square.

The creation of the position of night mayor was one of the campaign promises made by Aleksander Miszalski, who was in April elected as Kraków’s new mayor, ending two decades of rule by the retiring Jacek Majchrowski.

Twenty-one people applied for the post, 13 of whom met the formal requirements, which included having a university degree and at least four years of work experience, including two years in public administration, culture and heritage, public safety and order, public communication, legal services, entrepreneurship or tourism.

The candidate also needed to have a good command of English.

Speaking yesterday alongside Jordan, Miszalski said that he hoped a combination of “dialogue between interested parties” and strengthening municipal regulations can resolve tensions around the city’s nightlife.

Alicja Ptak

Alicja Ptak is senior editor at Notes from Poland and a multimedia journalist. She previously worked for Reuters.