PREŠOV (30. 10. 2017) - The Regional Tourism Organisation of the North-East of Slovakia marks five years of its existence. On this occasion, it presented its activities and a video clip about the Prešov Region.
KOCR Northeast of Slovakia was established at the beginning of November 2012 on the basis of Act No. 91/2010 Coll. on the Promotion of Tourism. The founding members are the Prešov Self-Governing Region and regional tourism organisations (OOCR). Currently, KOCR brings together more than 90 partners from seven OOCRs and the Prešov Region. The aim of the organisation is to create conditions and implement activities aimed at the development of tourism in the territory of the Prešov Region.
KOCR presented its activities during the tourism evening on 27 October in the Innovation Partnership Centre in Prešov, where it also presented a new video about the Prešov Region as a tourist destination.
"I am glad that the region has its own spot, which is dynamic and shows the enormous wealth that we have in the Prešov Region. There is a lot of work behind the regional organisation and we still have a lot to do," said Michal Sýkora, chairman of KOCR Northeast Slovakia.
The official spot has been in the making for a year and a half, its author is Jakub "Kuba Augi" Augustínsky. It captures the tourist attractions of the region during all seasons. "The preparation of the video was difficult, we have a large number of attractions in the region that we wanted to show - from the High Tatras, Pieniny, Dukla, Poloniny, royal towns, historical monuments, wooden churches to culture, traditions and sports," Martin Janoško, director of KOCR Northeast of Slovakia, introduced the spot. The video will be used to promote the region at home and abroad. In addition to The current three-minute version will add a 30-second cut.
Selected activities - marketing, products, infrastructure
During the five years of its operation, KOCR SVS has invested almost EUR 1 820 000. The funds went into tourism development in the field of marketing, product development and tourism infrastructure. The organisation is financed, like other KOCR in Slovakia, from the resources of the regional self-government - the Prešov Self-Governing Region, membership fees and is regularly successful in applying for subsidies from the Ministry of Transport and Construction of the Slovak Republic. From the resources of the Prešov Self-Governing Region, the amount of EUR 1 045 000 is involved, the membership fees amount to EUR 538 000. The funds from the membership fees are returned to the member territories in the form of investments in building elements of tourist infrastructure and marketing. Subsidies account for EUR 397 000, and EU funds currently account for EUR 70 000 of the project investments.
KOCR marketing activities include presentation of the region at tourism exhibitions and events. During five years it promoted the region at 25 international exhibitions at home and abroad.
"We also attracted tourists to the region through several campaigns. The most successful is LEGENDARIUM, which for three years has been promoting the attractions of the region through legendary heroes. The project has won several awards, in 2015 the Ministry of Transport and Construction of the Slovak Republic declared it the best innovation in tourism," said Martin Janoško, director of the KOCR North-East of Slovakia. Successful campaigns to promote visitors to the region include the Discover Prešov Region competition, Cycling through the Prešov Region, Letohrad 2017 or the Go and Take a Photo competition. The photographs of the finalists of the Go and Shoot photo competition present the region at travelling exhibitions in Slovakia and abroad. Northeast Slovakia also publishes or finances publishing promotional materials, maps and brochures from each region. It also supports marketing of its members. In total, KOCR invested € 993 000 in marketing activities.
In the area of products, KOCR focuses on support for trans-regional events and product promotionwhich develop the regions' tourist offer. Over five years, it invested 360,000 euros in this area, including products such as the Tatry Card - an experience card in the High Tatras, the creation of mobile applications promoting the region's Legendarium 1, 2 and Go! At the same time, it significantly contributes to the co-financing of the reinforced connections of the Tatra Electric Railway during the summer months.
Into the elements tourist infrastructure almost 400 000 euros went to. Tourist attractions in the region are marked by 80 brown tourist signs and 70 smaller signposts next to the roads. Infrastructure elements created by KOCR include tourist shelters, information boards with maps and information about tourist attractions in dozens of places in the region, both in the countryside and in town centres.
KOCR co-financed the construction of two oxygen tracks in the vicinity of Bardejov, a footbridge in Sulín over the Poprad River with solar panels, rest areas in the Kežmarok Forest Park, a relaxation trail with exercise elements between Bardejov and Bardejovské Kúpele, landscaping at tourist attractions such as the Bardejovské Kúpele, the Bardejov tourist attraction. In the Bachledova dolina, in Vrbov, Vyšné Ružbachy, maintenance of the footbridge over the Dunajec River in Červený Kláštor and many others.
In the field of cycling KOCR invested in marking and restoring hundreds of cycle paths e.g. in the area of the Levoča Hills (approx. 100 km), in Upper Zemplín (approx. 350 km), in the Bachledova valley or in the foothills of the Tatra Mountains. In cooperation with regional organisations, investments were also made in building singletracks under Oslím vrch (Stará Ľubovňa), modification of cycling routes (e.g. Ľubovnianske Kúpele - Nová Ľubovňa, Ždiar - Hanušovce), legalisation of the cycling route Domaša - Vranov n. Topľou and so on. Significant investments in cycling tourism include the financing of project documentation for cycling routes in the amount of EUR 71 000 (Veľký Šariš - Pečovská Nová Ves; Veľká Lomnica - Tatranská Lomnica; Stará Ľubovňa - Hniezdne) up to the level of documentation for building permits.
"Our aim is to work with partners in the regions to create and continue to develop quality and innovative tourism products that appeal to domestic and international tourists. These include the building of EuroVelo 11, the development of pilgrimage tourism, the building of infrastructure and the comprehensive promotion of the region as a tourist destination," Janoško presented his vision for the next period.
