Euro 2012 fan ban?

When the attention of the sporting world is turned on Poland and Ukraine for the Euro 2012 football championships, its going to get very busy at tourist spots such as Zakopane. However, the town council is considering making the capital of the Tatra mountains a football-free zone offering a haven of peace and tranquility for those seeking to escape the tumult of the tournament. Matches are to be played in Gdansk, Poznan, Wrocław and Warsaw. Yet, although there are no games planned in Małopolska, the region still expects to receive thousands of extra visitors. At least two national teams England and Holland are thought to favour Krakow as their base for the championships. And the regions proximity to Ukraine, where games are scheduled for Lviv, Kharkiv, Kiev and Donetsk, means many fans will be based here too. But, while the Zakopane authorities appear to favour the football-free approach, some traders and other businesses fear that this would not make economic sense for the town. A spokesman for the Tatra development agency said that encouraging people to visit Zakopane, either for the football or the peace and quiet, was important and that whichever scheme was adopted it must be properly marketed.