4th edition of the “10 deadly sins of the unaware tourist” (10GG) campaign: 'Your holidays affect water'

Wodne Sprawy (Water Issues) will launch the fourth edition of the Polish educational campaign ‘10 Deadly Sins of the Unaware Tourist’ (10GG) on 16 June 2026, under the slogan ‘Your holidays affect water’. The campaign launch and the first wave of activities will take place in June as part of initiatives submitted to EU Green Week 2026, followed by continued activities throughout the summer holiday season.

During the summer season, popular waterside destinations come under increasing pressure: litter left on shorelines, damage to shoreline vegetation, noise, wildlife disturbance and behaviours that may contribute to water pollution. Many of these impacts stem from small everyday choices repeated by thousands of visitors. The ‘10 Deadly Sins of the Unaware Tourist’ campaign raises awareness of these issues and promotes simple, practical alternatives - showing what to do instead so that holidays by the water can be both enjoyable and responsible.

The June launch (starting on 16 June 2026) and subsequent seasonal activities include:

• publication of the official campaign poster and launch of a dedicated campaign webpage (resource hub) on 16 June 2026;
• release of a downloadable communication package (graphics and short messages) that municipalities and stakeholders can reuse to support and amplify the campaign locally, available from the launch date;
• a 10-week ‘Sin of the week’ series, with one topic published every Monday, explaining one ‘sin’ and offering practical advice on how to avoid it; content is prepared with expert input and made available in press-release format for wider publication;
• distribution of educational posters to tourist municipalities in Poland to support on-site communication during the holiday season, with distribution starting around the campaign launch; and
• a summer photo contest ‘Your holidays affect water’, encouraging people to share examples of responsible behaviour by the water; selected entries are featured across campaign channels as a gallery of good practices, with submissions collected via an online form running throughout the summer.

The campaign aims to:

• increase awareness of how tourism and recreation affect water ecosystems and shoreline habitats;
• promote simple, easy-to-adopt behaviours that reduce pressure on rivers, lakes and the Baltic Sea; and
• support local partners with ready-made communication materials.