prof. Ing. Peter Patus, PhD.

Department of Tourism and HospitalityFaculty of EconomyMatej Bel UniversityBanska Bystrica

2013

Review of Situation Analysis

Zvolenská kotlina Region

• Region is located in the valley of river Hron

• Comprises Banská Bystrica- Sliac - Zvolen including their surroundings

• Region is limited by mountains Low Tatras- Great Fatra- Kremnicke hills- Slovenske Rudohorie

Conditions of Tourism Development

Accessibility

•Road transport- highways and motorways in Bratislava direction (approx. 3 h)

•Railway transport- old-fashioned, slow and of low frequency

•Air transport- Sliac airport without regular connection at home and abroad

Natural Conditions• Hiking- above- mentioned mountains• Cycling (road & mountain biking)• Water sports (Hron rafting)• Cross-country skiing (Kremnicke hills, Low

Tatras, Great Fatra)• Alpine skiing (Kremnicke hills, Low Tatras,

Great Fatra)• Spa tourism (Sliac, Kovacova)• Golf (Sliac)

Cultural- historical monuments and events

• Cultural tourism- religious monuments, UNESCO monument in Hronsek, museums and galleries, castles, mining traditions- copper mining, Slovak National Uprising monuments, folklore and region´s traditions, tradition of Radvan fair

Unused potential of the region

• Sliac airport as a mean of foreign visitors transportation

• Missing highway connection from North to South (previous intended connection B-T-B-A: Baltic Sea- Tatras-Balaton-Adriatic Sea)

• geological tourism- Spania Dolina, Stare Hory, Lubietova

• Gastronomy tourism- regional specialities • Decline of spa infrastructure- mostly spa Sliac

• Decline of ski resort Turecka- Krizna

• Missing cable connection between ski resorts Králiky and Skalka

• Missing exhibition site in the region for national and international fairs and exhibitions

• Missing cultural centre of the region for cultural, congress and exhibition events

• Unfinished network of cycling tracks • Recreation nearby important cities- unfinished

leisure and recreation complex in suburban areas of Zvolen and Banska Bystrica

Other problems of tourism development

• Quality of services

• Insufficient destionation marketing (image, destiantion brand)

• Missing tourism development strategy of the region

• Organizational insufficiencies in tourism

• Insufficient number of tourism investments

• Negative business environment in Slovakia