First results of the cooperation: new cycle stand and experiential products
SNINA/PRESOV, 3 May 2024 - The Regional Tourism Organisation (KOCR) North-East of Slovakia and the Centre for the Support of Natural Tourism and Destination Development Poloniny (Centrum podpory Poloniny) signed on Friday, 3 May a memorandum of cooperation in the field of sustainable tourism development in the Poloniny region. It happened in the area of the tourist information centre at Snina Ponds on the occasion of the opening of the new cycling season. The current outcome of the cooperation is the opening of a service bicycle stand and the preparation of experiential tourism products.
The Poloniny Support Centre is run by the non-profit organisation Aevis within the framework of the Recovery Plan. Its task is to implement nature tourism in the Poloniny and to support regional development. Among other things, Aevis is behind the successful destination brand Poloniny incredibly real, operates a tourist information centre, networks local service providers and provides educational excursions into nature. On 3 May 2024, the KOCR North-East of Slovakia officially joined the partners of this organisation. In a jointly signed memorandum both parties undertook to actively cooperate in the development of sustainable tourism and to ensure the sharing of information and promotion of the Poloniny destination.
"Destination Poloniny represents a unique combination of natural and cultural heritage. The biggest attraction is the Poloniny National Park, the still alive Ruthenian culture and the exceptionally dark night sky. Our aim is to develop Poloniny in a sensitive way, taking into account its uniqueness and the interests of local people," Diana Komárová, destination manager from the Poloniny Support Centre, presented the intention of cooperation.
"We have been working with Aevis and the Support Centre for a long time. We perceive their contribution in tourism, we have found several overlaps of our activities, and therefore the signing of the memorandum is another step towards deepening cooperation. Already this summer we will present interesting tourism products to the public, with an emphasis on the uniqueness of the Poloniny Mountains. These will be mainly experiential tours in nature, which will sensitively introduce visitors to this unique area," said Michal Iľkanin, chairman of the KOCR Northeast of Slovakia.
The Poloniny Mountains are gradually becoming known to the public as an attractive cycling destination. "We can also feel the increase in the number of cyclists in our information centre at Snina Ponds. There is a growing interest in learning about nature, local culture and visits to unique wooden churches. Cyclists are enthusiastically discovering new sections of the Poloniny Trail, which is being built here by the Prešov Self-Governing Region, but they are also heading in the direction of Zemplínske Hámre and other areas of Zemplín," stated Diana Komárová.
The site lacked a basic service for cyclists to make any repairs. "The safety and comfort of cyclists are an important part of the offer, so we handed over a new service bike stand at the information centre at Snina Ponds. We managed to secure it with the financial support of the Ministry of Tourism and Sport of the Slovak Republic. The bicycle repair tools are freely accessible to the public," informed Martin Janoško, director of the KOCR North-East of Slovakia.
The stand was handed over for use in the presence of the mayor of Snina Petr Vološin, Aevis n.o. and the cycling public. From there, the attendees set off on a bike ride to Zemplínské Hámry and back, thus officially launching the cycling season in the region.
Contact:
KOCR Northeast of Slovakia
Mgr. Barbora Čechová, media/PR
Centre for the Promotion of Nature Tourism and Development of the Poloniny Destination
Mgr. Diana Komárová, Destination Manager, diana.komarova@aevis.org
