Andrzej Gut-Mostowy

On May 30, 2023, during a ceremonial event, Andrzej Gut-Mostowy, State Secretary at the Ministry of Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Poland and the authorized representative of the Prime Minister for promoting the Polish brand, was awarded the honorary academic title “Doctor Honoris Causa” by the International Business School for his significant contribution to the development of Bulgarian-Polish economic relations and for popularizing scientific research achievements and their impact on tourism policies and management at the national and European levels.

Andrzej Gut-Mostowy, who has been actively involved in Polish politics and tourism, was appointed as the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Sport and Tourism by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on October 27, 2021. Before this role, he served as Secretary of State at the Ministry of Development and Technology starting from August 17, 2021, and at the Ministry of Development, Labor, and Technology beginning November 19, 2020. His journey in governmental roles began on January 3, 2020, as Secretary of State at the Ministry of Development, where he was also the Prime Minister’s Plenipotentiary for Polish Brand Promotion. He played a pivotal role in creating the Polish Tourism Voucher program and contributed to various measures in the anti-crisis and tourism shields.

Gut-Mostowy has a strong academic background, having earned his master’s degree in Tourism Economy and undertaken doctoral studies in Regional Economy at the University of Economics in Krakow. His political career includes multiple terms as a member of the Polish Parliament (Sejm) across the years 2005-2007, 2007-2011, 2011-2015, and the ongoing term.

Between 1998 and 2005, he was a councilor for the Małopolskie Voivodeship, during which he served as the Vice-Chairman of the Commission for Physical Culture and Tourism. Earlier, from 1995 to 1998, he was a councilor in Zakopane and a member of the City Council. His contributions to the tourism sector are notable; he was Vice President of the Tatra Chamber of Commerce from 2008 to 2014, played a significant role in the Małopolska Tourist Organization, and was part of the “Tourist Traffic Research in Małopolska” scientific team. He was instrumental in founding the Małopolska Tourist Organization at the behest of the Małopolskie Voivodeship Council.

Gut-Mostowy also co-founded and initially led the Knights of Columbus’s Polish chapter from 2005 to 2009, aligning with the organization’s status as the largest Catholic charitable group globally. Since 2004, he has organized charity events for children in Rabka under the banner “Entrepreneurs of Podhale, Spisz, Orava for Children,” an effort that earned him the “Order of the Smile” award.

He comes from one of the oldest and most numerous families in Podhale, which has been involved in tourism since the late 19th century.