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Mrs. Silvia Sulekova Kollarikova, General Director of Slovak Tourist Board analyzes in TravelDailyNews the efforts of Slovakia to make tourism number one industry of the country.
TravelDailyNews: Many terrorist attacks occurred in the past years. How did that affect your country and your outbound tourism and what measures do you undertake to ensure the safety in your country?
Silvia Sulekova Kollarikova: The Slovak Tourist Board (STB) as a state marketing organization is in charge of promoting Slovakia as an attractive tourism destination. Our activities are focused on improving the inbound tourism. However, as to the safety in our country, we do inform all the potential tourists that Slovakia is so far without any terrorist related problems. Racially motivated crimes are rare while religious based conflicts are simply none in here.
TDN: What kind of actions does your organization take to inform the global village for Slovakia’s tourism product?
S.S.K: The Slovak Tourist Board uses all kinds of marketing communication instruments to “spread the word”. From taking part at the tourism exhibitions and trade fairs such as WTM London, ITB Berlin or IMEX Frankfurt, through printing the information leaflets and brochures to organizing fam trips and info trips for journalists and tour operators we are doing our best to show our country not only to the tourism professionals but also to the press, media and general public. Workshops, presentations, media campaigns, offices abroad, international co-operation and participation at cross-border projects also belong to usual tools of promoting tourism by the Slovak Tourist Board.
TDN: Which countries contribute more in a global basis to your inbound tourism so far and what are your expectations for 2006?
S.S.K: Regarding the inbound tourism, the Czech Republic is number one for Slovakia. Top five countries in tourist inflow to Slovakia are: the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Hungary and Italy joined by Austria in number of nights respectively. We do not expect this situation to change very much in 2006 with the above mentioned countries due to common history and geographic proximity, general awareness of Slovakia in those territories and well established clientele.
TDN: How do you comment your presence at ITB travel fair? Can you tell us in which exhibitions are you going to take part in 2006?
S.S.K: Since the beginning of 2006 the Slovak Tourist Board has participated in several important travel fairs such as Matka Helsinki, Fitur Madrid, Vakantie Salon Brussels, Balttour Riga, BIT Milan, Holiday World Prague, New York Times Travel Show, ITB Berlin, Utazás Budapest, Salon Mondial du Tourisme Paris, MITT Moscow or WTF Shanghai.
Among the most important tourism events in which we have taken part this year was the ASTA-International Destination Expo in Prague. At the IDE ASTA members came to Prague in order to seize the chance of becoming specialists on central Europe through seminars and focused destination training. They held talks with local suppliers and explored treasures of east and central Europe during pre- and post- offers. Slovakia had thus the chance to promote its tourist attractions to top American travel agents through info trips around the country organized for the IDE participants.
Moreover, in 2006 Slovak Tourist Board plans to attend among others the RDA Workshop Cologne, JATA Tokyo, WTM London, CITM Shanghai and of course at the most important European MICE exhibition IMEX FRANKFURT.
TDN:TDN: What are your plans regarding the infrastructure development in your country?
S.S.K: The Slovak Tourist Board is not the competent subject regarding the development of infrastructure in Slovakia. Of course this issue is one of the priorities for the Slovak government. However, tourism infrastructure is supported at the moment by the European Communities through Sectoral Operation Program Industry and Services.
TDN: World Tourism Organization gives special attention to sustainable tourism and poverty alleviation. Can you describe the official efforts of your country regarding those issues?
S.S.K: Regarding sustainable tourism and poverty alleviation, the Slovak Republic tries to support the development of regions with high unemployment and with fewer possibilities to get employed. EU structural funds help the growth of underdeveloped regions. Excluding the territory of the capital Bratislava from the process of drawing EU financial support is one of the tools to fight poverty in the regions in need. Small family run hostels and pensions represent one of the examples of poverty alleviation by tourism development.
TDN: How do the market shares form in your country regarding the field of mice industry and how do you see those shares to shape in the following years?
S.S.K: We started more intensive promotion regarding MICE industry just two years ago including attending Visegrad Group workshops organized by the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, fairs such as IMEX Frankfurt, EIBTM Barcelona, BTC Florence, etc. and organizing fam trips for MICE hosted buyers. We see the potential for the following years with the higher market share of the convention and incentive tourism attendees because of the increase in regular direct flights to Slovakia, new facilities with conference capacities and the increased level of the catering services.
TDN: What are the major problems that Slovakia’s tourism faces today?
S.S.K: We can find the infrastructure development as one of the main issues that Slovakia’s tourism has to deal with at the moment. The country is still lacking a sufficient network of highways. Moreover, not all of the top tourist destinations are accessible by planes. The quality of services in Slovakia is also an aspect to be improved in the future. Nevertheless, we continue in our efforts to build complex tourist facilities in order to provide tourists with quality services in the top tourist regions. Tourist can meet with top service in our mountain areas, spas or historical centres of towns.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
