When in '90 of XX century, as a result of political and economic changes in our country, Poland gained the opportunity to become a member of the European Union, works to adjust tourism management system and promotion to EU standards were started. Those works aimed at implementation of modern, tested in a majority of European countries, organisational-e and economic solutions, allowing countries and regions to conduct an active policy of tourism development.

     As the effect of these works on 1st January 2000 the Polish Tourist Organisation started its activity. The establishing of PTO has initiated the formation of three-gradual system of promotion, similar to ones in EU countries: at central, regional and local level.

     In West-Pomeranian Voivod the formation of new structures was started already in 1999. In October 1999 the Marshal of West-Pomeranian Voivod established the West-Pomeranian Tourist Council, which acted as His advisor on tourism issues, but at the same time was a first quasi Regional Tourist Organisation in Poland. It was the Council that as its main goal set the establishment of Regional Tourist Organisation in our voivod.

     The result of activities together with the Marshal Office was carrying by the West-Pomeranian Local Parliament on 18th December 2000 the vote on joining of West-Pomeranian Voivod as a founder-member to the West-Pomeranian Regional Tourist Organisation.

     West-Pomeranian Regional Tourist Organisation was brought into being at the foundation meeting on 15th February 2001. Twelve founder-members (including West-Pomeranian Voivod) declared its readiness to form in our voivod the RTO as a union of associations. As main goals, among others, following were set:

• creation of the image of West-Pomeranian Voivod as a tourist attractive region,
• integration of territorial, economic and professional autonomies with people, institutions and organisations interested in a tourist development of West-Pomeranian Voivod,
• establishing a regional system of tourist information and incorporating it into international management of "it" system,
• supporting the formation of local tourist organisations,
• acting to improve tourist infrastructure,
• accumulation of financial funds for a tourism development.

     The organisation was enrolled in National Commercial Register on 7th May 2001, and first management board was elected on 27th June 2001.

     Already in October 2001 we were organising National Celebration of International Tourism Day. The President of the Republic of Poland Aleksander Kwaśniewski took a patronage of that event. The leading subject of the celebration was: "Safety and protection of tourist in Poland".

     In 2002, with the funds received from the Ministry of Economy and Marshal Office, we ordered the elaboration of "Tourism Development Programme in West-Pomeranian Voivod in years 2003-2006". The programme was accepted unanimously by the West-Pomeranian Local Parliament on 15th September 2003.

     Our initiative was, with a funds received from the Ministry of Economy in 2003, the elaboration of "The analysis of formation of golf courses in West-Pomeranian Voivod".

     On 12-14th September 2003 we organised the seminar " Golf Courses as a tourist attraction in Poland" combined with the organisation of the First Golf Tournament - Polish Tourist Organisation Cup.

     Since 2001 we are co-organizers of the Golf Tournament "Gryfnet.pl", which is a form of promoting, among authorities of our voivod, the ideas we'd had while establishing WRTO, and which propagates the activity of Internet System of Tourist Information and encourages learning of playing golf.

     On the basis of the contract with the Marshal Office we are accomplishing the tasks of the local authority in the scope of organisation of regional stand on national and foreign fairs.

     In 2002 we published two information books: "Golf in West-Pomeranian Voivod" and "Health Resorts in West-Pomeranian Voivod". With our support in 2003 two innovatory publications were issued: "Ports and harbours of West-Pomeranian Voivod" and "Horse-ridding tourism in West-Pomeranian Voivod".

We use all possible methods aiming at receiving financial funds for the tourist promotion of West-Pomeranian Voivod.

We take active part in stimulating local authorities of our region aiming at establishing Local Tourist Organisations.

Firstly the office of West-Pomeranian Regional Tourist Organisations was situated in the Marshal Office of West-Pomeranian Voivod. We used its hospitality till the end of April 2004. Since 1st May 2004 we have our separate office at Partyzantów street in Szczecin.