The Slovak Republic took over on 1 July the presidency of the Visegrád Group (V4) and, at the same time, has taken on a leading role within a major platform supporting the development of tourism in Central Europe Discover Central Europe. This is a joint communication, promotional and marketing initiative by the national tourism organisations of Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. Its main aim is the joint promotion of the Central European region in distant, non-European markets. During our Presidency, we wish to support cooperation in the tourism sector by encouraging the creation of attractive cross-border itineraries.
Platform Discover Central Europe links activities SLOVAKIA TRAVEL, CzechTourism, Visit Hungary a Polish Tourist Organisation, thereby creating a strong partnership for the joint promotion of the Central European region. This mutual cooperation enables a more effective and targeted approach to reaching an international audience, whilst also strengthening Central Europe’s competitiveness. „The Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia are attractive to distant source markets precisely because they form a single region where visitors can explore several countries in a single trip. Joint promotion brings tangible benefits to Slovakia – it increases its visibility and contributes to the growth of inbound tourism,“ said Matej Fekete, Managing Director of SLOVAKIA TRAVEL.
The partnership has been in place since 2003 and is one of the most successful examples of long-term regional cooperation in European tourism. „During Slovakia’s V4 Presidency, we aim to develop cooperation by encouraging the creation of attractive themed multi-country itineraries that will naturally link all four countries in the region. Our aim is to transform the geographical proximity and cultural diversity of Central Europe into attractive travel experiences for visitors from distant markets,“ This was explained by Mária Schvarczová from the International Relations Department at SLOVAKIA TRAVEL, who is responsible for cooperation within the Discover Central Europe initiative.
The aim is to develop attractive itineraries focusing on cultural heritage, UNESCO sites, active leisure, spa tourism, gastronomy and authentic regional experiences. Such themed routes will enable visitors to explore more countries in a single trip, extend their stay and boost both visitor numbers and the number of overnight stays. „We see the future of promoting Central Europe in shared stories and interconnected routes. We want to support the creation of attractive itineraries that will make the V4 region a single, strong and attractive destination for visitors from distant markets – one that is well worth exploring together,“ concluded Matej Fekete, Managing Director of SLOVAKIA TRAVEL.
Representatives of the member states, as part of Discover Central Europe regularly take part in activities carried out as part of the joint annual marketing plan, which include presentations at B2B workshops, individual B2B meetings, participation in promotional roadshows, online campaigns and FAM trips, which enable foreign tour operators to experience the region first-hand and thus increase the chances of Central European destinations being included in tour catalogues as part of organised inbound tourism.
The platform will bring the following benefits to tourism operators in Slovakia Discover Central Europe In the near future, there will be opportunities to take part in B2B meetings in Japan, the US, Canada and China. Two influencer campaigns will be carried out in collaboration with the European Commission for Tourism, targeting the Chinese and Japanese markets.
The main benefit Discover Central Europe is the diversification of tourism product sales and the creation of opportunities for establishing direct commercial cooperation between tourism organisations in the V4 countries and those in the distant markets of North America, Asia and the Middle East, as well as the mutual coordination and sharing of activities and financial support by the national tourism organisations of the four countries in the Central European region.
Source: SLOVAKIA TRAVEL
Photo credit: SLOVAKIA TRAVEL
