Country: Last update: April 2018

MEMBER STATES' ANNUAL REPORTING TEMPLATE

Article 3 of Council Decision 86/664/EEC1 of 22 December 1986 establishing a consultation and cooperation procedure in the field of tourism stipulates that:

"...each Member State shall send the Commission, once a year, a report on the most significant measures it has taken and, as far as possible, on measures it is considering taking in the provision of services for tourists which could have consequences for travellers from the other Member States. The Commission shall inform the other Member States thereof".

The following reporting form aims at facilitating compliance with this Council Decision.

SECTION 1 TOURISM ORGANISATION AND GOVERNANCE

This section is aimed at reporting on the following:

 Administrative organisation

 Territorial organisation

 Organisation and links between the national tourism authority and the provinces / regions

 Organisation and links between the national tourism authority and industry associations, stakeholders and customers

1.1. Please provide a short description of the administrative and territorial organisation of public bodies responsible for tourism, indicating the relationship and cooperation between national, regional and local bodies of the core responsibilities and competences of each department (Max. 3000 characters) Responsibility for tourism in Slovakia rests with the Ministry of Transport and Construction of the Slovak Republic (MoT). The Tourism Section of MoT is divided into five departments: Strategy and Analyses Department, Department of International Cooperation in Tourism, Destination Management Department, Department of Relationship with Foreign Markets, Marketing and Promotion Department. Responsibilities of the Tourism Section include mainly: preparation of legislative regulations, strategy formulation, implementation of the Tourism Support Act (development of destination management), international cooperation in tourism, processing and analysing statistical data, administration of the register of local and regional tourism organizations and marketing and promotion.

1 http://eur- lex.europa.eu/Notice.do?val=123070%3Acs&lang=en&list=123070%3Acs%2C&pos=1&page=1&nbl= 1&pgs=10&hwords=

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The marketing and promotion of Slovakia as a tourist destination had previously been carried out by the Slovak Tourist Board (STB). However, STB was wound up by the decree of the Minister of MoT and it finished its operation and activities on 31st December 2016 and its responsibilities were taken over by MoT. The Tourism Section has six foreign offices located in the , , , , the Russian Federation and . At regional level, tourism responsibilities were devolved in 2001 to self-governing bodies on the eight regions (, , , Trenčín, Žilina, Banská Bystrica, Prešov and Košice) and municipalities. Local governments in municipalities and towns also play an important role in the development of tourism in their areas.

1.2. Please provide an organisation chart reflecting the above described administrative and territorial organisation.

1.3. Please list and describe briefly the relationship and main areas of cooperation between national/regional public tourism bodies and the most significant / active private organisations / stakeholders / industry associations /unions / consumer organisations. (Max. 1500 characters) Through the Tourism Support Act, MoT builds a system of destination management organisations (DMOs) in Slovakia, whereby local and regional tourism organisations are created on the basis of voluntary public-private partnership, with financial support from the state budget. There are 36 local and 5 regional tourism organisations created under the Tourism Support Act, which are responsible for the development of tourism and the creation and promotion of competitive tourist products within their defined territories. Tourism associations contribute at local and regional levels, primarily in the fields of quality improvement, professional training, the application of quality standards and the

2 Country: SLOVAKIA Last update: April 2018 communication of the best practices. Representatives of the seven most important nationwide tourism associations founded the Slovak Tourism Association in 2011 as a voluntary, non-political organisation of employers in tourism, which has been promoting greater cooperation in the sector and necessary legislative changes.

1.4. What is the existing national/regional specific legislation on tourism? (Max. 500 characters)  Act No. 91/2010 Coll. on Support of Tourism  Act No. 281/2001 Coll. on package tours and conditions for business of tour operators and travel agencies  Decree of the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic No. 277/2008 Coll. establishing classification symbols for categorizing and ranking accommodation establishments  Act No. 561/2007 Coll. on Investment Aid as amended, entitling the Tourism Section of the Ministry of Transport and Construction of the Slovak Republic to provide investment aid to tourism projects  Decree of the Ministry of Transport, Construction and Regional Development of the Slovak Republic No. 11/2013 Coll. setting a template for investment aid for regional development in tourism, specifying the requirements for the submission of annual reports on the implementation of the investment plan, the final evaluation report and the annual report on the use of investment.

SECTION 2 - MEMBER STATE ECONOMIC DATA AND TOURISM BUDGETS This section is intended to provide an overview of the key statistical information about the general tourism economic environment of the Member States.

Data marked with green is also collected by Eurostat. Data marked with orange is equally collected by the OECD. The data categories match the templates of these two organisations, therefore data reported to the Commission can be transferred / used when reporting to Eurostat and OECD and vice-versa.

The statistical data provided in the tables below shall cover the year 2016 and, if available, 2017.

The data collected through these sections will also feed into the future Virtual Tourism Observatory.

Please use the Excel templates provided below in order to facilitate coherence and comparability of the data.

Please note that you are only requested to fill in data that is available in your country. Please insert "N/A" for those that you are not able to provide.

Slovakia_tourism data_2017.xls

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SECTION 3 NATIONAL TOURISM POLICY AND STRATEGIES This section aims at collecting information on the Member States general strategic vision as well as the specific objectives of their tourism policies. 3.1. Please provide information in bullet points on the key mission, main medium and long-term objectives and the main targets of your national tourism policy. (Max. 1500 characters) According to its Manifesto for 2016-2020, the Government of the Slovak Republic  Intends to increase competitiveness of the tourism sector, while creating new jobs;  Will review the possibility of adopting more flexible forms of employment given the seasonal nature of tourism;  Will adopt measures to improve coordination between railway and bus transport sectors and operators of tourism resorts on a year-round and seasonal basis;  Will present the country as an attractive and safe destination that is worth visiting with the aim to increase the number of tourists as well as encourage them to stay longer in Slovakia;  Will encourage destination management through local tourism organisations;  Will access the possibility of introducing tax reliefs and special incentives for the development of the spa industry in Slovakia.

3.2. Do you have a multi-annual national tourism strategy specific / relevant for tourism in place? If yes, please describe in bullet points the main medium and long- term objectives of the strategy as well as who is responsible for its implementation. How is the implementation monitored and how often? (Max. 2000 characters) On 10 July 2013, the Government of the Slovak Republic approved the Tourism Development Strategy until 2020. According to the Strategy, the strategic goal of tourism in Slovakia is to increase the competitiveness of the tourism sector, to make better use of the potential of Slovakia with the aim to balance regional disparities and create new jobs. The strategy is focused on two key areas: the quality of the tourism offer and the presentation and promotion of the Slovak Republic as a tourism destination. Sub-objectives are to: a) Focus the attention on the innovation of the existing products based on the trends in the demand for tourism; b) Better use of natural, cultural and historical potential of the Slovak Republic by promoting destinations, places, where there is already a steady demand for the key markets; c) Promote destinations with natural and historical potential in lagging regions with high unemployment rate, hence create new jobs. Slovakia in terms of competitiveness in the short term should focus on better tourism capacity utilization and in the long term it should focus on quality which is a major requirement and prerequisite for the tourism development. The Strategy is implemented by MoT in co-operation with other ministries and self-governing regions depending on the particular tasks. According to the Government's decision to the Tourism Development Strategy, MoT is

4 Country: SLOVAKIA Last update: April 2018 required to submit to the Government an information on the implementation of the Strategy and the fulfilment of the strategic objectives arising from the Strategy until 29 February 2016 and 31 March 2020. There is also the Marketing Strategy until 2020 drawn up by the former Slovak Tourist Board.

4. TOURISM CHALLENGES, MEASURES AND INITIATIVES This section aims at collecting information on the challenges the Member states and the tourism industry has to deal with as well as the measures put in place to tackle them.

4.1. Please identify the key challenges for the tourism sector in your country and indicate their importance /priority in the table below.

IMPORTANCE / PRIORITY CHALLENGES HIGH MEDIUM LOW Diversification of the tourism offer  Protection of the cultural heritage  Protection of the natural heritage  ICT and innovation, digitalisation  Collaborative economy in the tourism sector  Connectivity and transport  Employment in tourism – improving the  perception of the sector as a career opportunity Improving education and skills in tourism  Combatting seasonality  Demographic changes  Improving accessibility of tourism  Improving socio-economic data in tourism  Economic crisis and recovery  Improving investment in the sector  Improving the sustainability of tourism offer  Combatting climate change  Improving the quality of tourism offer  Developing responsible tourism practices  Competition against other destinations  Administrative / regulatory burden, bureaucracy,  improvement of the business environment Other, please specify – Tourism Destination  Management Development

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4.2. Please describe briefly the main measures in your country aimed at tackling the key high-priority challenges indicated above. (Max. 2000 characters) MoT carried out the creation of the National Tourist System of the Slovak Republic (NTS) to ensure the professional smart presentation of the Slovak Republic as an attractive tourist destination. The project includes the delivery of the module for planning the stay or trip as an interface that will be inserted into the www.slovakia.travel national internet portal, delivery of the mobile application and the national travel card. Thanks to the system, the user can create its own trip comprising information on destination, accommodation, navigation, motivation and benefits. MoT also participated in the promotion of vocational education and training at the tourism sector. In April 2017, the fifth edition of the Young Creator Competition was held, where the students of the secondary schools were awarded the Prize of the Minister of Transport and Construction of the Slovak Republic in the Top Tourist Destination competition. One of the aims of the competition is to strengthen the relationship between students and tourism. MoT elaborated the document concerning the introduction of recreational vouchers in Slovakia to support domestic tourism in the country. The document is ready to be submitted to the further legislative proceeding. MoT signed in 2017 an agreement on cooperation with the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic to improve statistics relating to inbound tourism, and establish Tourism Satellite Account. MoT also financially supported the Statistical Office in this work. In cooperation with external experts, MoT works on the establishment of the Slovak system of quality of tourism services as a systematic voluntary tool to enhance quality of services provided in tourism and to increase competitiveness of this sector. The system aims at providing tourism enterprises with methodological advice and assistance in improving quality of services and professional knowledge, promoting the regional development and increasing competitiveness. The tourism enterprises involved in the certification have a possibility to obtain an internationally comparable quality mark providing an indication of quality to prospective customers and also serving as a tool for motivating employees to perform better. The system was launched in 2016. In 2017, most activities focused on promoting the system as well as providing training. In the field of promotion and presentation of Slovakia as a tourist destination, MoT carried out its marketing and promotional activities particularly in neighbouring countries and countries with high market potential. In total, MoT participated in 23 tourism fairs in 16 countries in 2017 and organised 16 info trips for foreign press/media. MoT builds a system of destination management organizations (DMOs) by implementing the Tourism Support Act, whereby local and regional tourism organizations are created on the basis of voluntary public-private partnership, with financial support from the government. MoT supports local and regional tourism organizations, which are responsible for the development of tourism and creation and promotion of competitive tourist products within their respective region or defined territory. MoT supported tourism organizations created under the mentioned act in 2017 particularly in creating and selling the tourism products, marketing and promotion, building and maintaining tourist infrastructure, activities of tourist information centres, and educational activities as well. In 2017, MoT organized nationwide Campaigns promoting non-motorized traffic – Bike to work, Bike to school, Bike to shop. Bike to Work is a national campaign whose main goals are: - to promote usage and spread of non-motorized transport (primarily cycling) in urban

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areas; - to challenge Slovak regional governments to create better conditions for environmentally-friendly modes of transport within their respective districts; - to motivate employers to better equip their offices and company premises for employees who commute by bike; - and to motivate the employees to make use of this alternative form of transport on their daily commutes. The goal of the campaign Bike to school was to encourage children to go to school by bike or on foot. The last of the three campaigns supported the creation of stands around shopping facilities to make better use of environmentally friendly modes of transport. MoT in cooperation with the Transport Research Institute drew up the Good Mobility Manual with the aim to create better conditions for pedestrians and cyclists as well as to improve the quality of public areas and overall living within public areas in municipalities.

The Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic drew up a new act on package travel, linked travel arrangements, and conditions for tourism businesses (Implementation of the Directive (EU) 2015/2302 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2015 on package travel and linked travel arrangements, amending Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 and Directive 2011/83/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Directive 90/314/EEC).

4.3. Please identify if any of the above mentioned challenges relate to any legislative measures at EU level, and how. (Max. 1000 characters) The Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic drew up a new act on package travel, linked travel arrangements, and conditions for tourism businesses (Implementation of the Directive (EU) 2015/2302 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2015 on package travel and linked travel arrangements, amending Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 and Directive 2011/83/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Directive 90/314/EEC).

4.4. Please identify and describe any measures implemented in your country to increase tourism flows from other EU Member States and from third countries. (Max. 1000 characters) Marketing and promotional activities of MoT (Tourism Section) to increase tourism flows from abroad:  In the first months of 2017, the visualisation of Slovakia's marketing brand changed to "Travel in Slovakia Good Idea", which was subsequently adapted to all international presentations;  Participation in 23 tourism fairs and exhibitions in 16 countries with the aim to promote Slovakia as a tourist destination;  Organisation of info trips for foreign press/media;  Representatives of V4 countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) signed during their high level meeting in Warsaw in 2017 the protocol on cooperation in the

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field of tourism and marketing plan with the aim to increase joint marketing and promotional activities in overseas markets and thus increase tourist flows from distant markets to V4 countries;  Within the framework of the cooperation of Central European countries (V4 countries) under the slogan “Discover Central Europe”, MoT took part in several joint activities, where contributed to a common presentation of tourist possibilities of the region of V4 countries;  In the framework of the cooperation of 16 CEE countries with (16 + 1) in the field of tourism, MoT participated in the Global Tourism Economy Forum in Macao where presented Slovakia in the joint stand of 16 CEECs. In 2015, Slovakia became a Member of the Executive Council of the World Tourism Organization. This membership lasts until 2019 and contributes to strengthening position of Slovakia on the international tourism field.

4.5. Please describe how promotional measures implemented in your country make use of / capitalise on the promotional campaigns carried out by the Commission (i.e. Ready for Europe, Europe. Wonder is all around, European Destinations of Excellence (EDEN), low-season tourism campaigns, etc.). (Max. 1000 characters) Slovakia participated in the international tourism fair – New York Travel Show, USA on 27- 29 January 2017. The European Commission had a dedicated EUROPE stand together with European Travel Commission and several NTOs which expressed the interest to join the stand, including Slovakia. The activity was held under the Priority 4 “Promotion of Europe as a tourist destination, including diversification of tourism products and internationalisation of tourism business”.

4.6. Please identify and describe any measures /actions in your country which contribute to maximising the potential of national policies for developing tourism (e.g. ensuring that tourism interests are taken into account in the development of other policies which may have impact on tourism). (Max.1000 characters) MoT promotes tourism as an important contributor to the national economy and informs regularly on tourism statistical data and tourism development in Slovakia, including the impact of tourism on GDP of the country.

4.7. Please identify and describe any measures/actions in your country which contribute to maximising the potential of EU Funds, including Financial Instruments for developing tourism (e.g. information on main objectives, financing opportunities, training courses, etc.). (Max. 1000 characters) MoT publishes information on EU Financial Instruments for developing tourism on its official website and informs tourism stakeholders about these opportunities.

4.8 Please describe shortly which EU programmes are used the most frequently and for what purposes of tourism development in your country. (Max. 1000 characters)

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Sustainable and responsible tourism, whether talking about economic, social or environmental sustainability, is a broad concept and may be interpreted in various ways depending on the attributes of a Member State or region. The following questions focus on sustainability and responsibility in tourism as described in the 2007 Commission Communication2 on an agenda for sustainable and competitive European tourism.

4.9. Sustainable destination: What support is given to strengthen destination management at the national /regional/local level (e.g. supportive policy environment, knowledge networks, training programmes, technological support tools, financial support, promotional activities, etc.)? (Max. 1000 characters) MoT builds a system of destination management organisations (DMOs) by implementing the Tourism Support Act, effective in Slovakia from December 2011, whereby local and regional tourism organizations are created on the basis of voluntary public-private partnership with financial support from the government. MoT supports local and regional tourism organizations responsible for the development of tourism and creation and promotion of competitive tourist products within their respective region or defined territory. In 2017, MoT provided EUR 5.055 million to 40 tourism organisations, of which 35 local and 5 regional, mainly for product development, tourist infrastructure and marketing.

4.10. Sustainable businesses: What support is given to strengthen the sustainability and competitiveness of tourism businesses (e.g. supportive policy environment, knowledge networks, orientation of business support services to sustainability, training, financial incentives, promotional activities, etc.)? (Max. 1000 characters) MoT supports financially destination management organisations rather than particular tourism enterprises. MoT provides local and regional tourism organisations with subsidies from the state budget. Tourism enterprises are also members of these local tourism organisations. In 2017, 35 tourism subsidies were awarded to local tourism organisations and 5 to regional tourism organisations under the Tourism Support Act. Those activities targeted for support included marketing activities, product development activities, infrastructure support, the activities of tourism and information centres, the completion of strategic, conceptual and analytical materials and documents, statistics and surveys, educational activities aimed at improving and developing destinations, reservation systems, and tourism quality system.

4.11. Responsible tourism: What support is given to tourists and the tourism industry to promote their responsible practices and choices (e.g. awareness raising, sustainability in education, national marketing and media campaigns, promotion of certification schemes, etc.)? (Max. 1000 characters) In cooperation with external experts, MoT works on the establishment of the Slovak system of quality of tourism services as a systematic voluntary tool to enhance quality of services provided in tourism and to increase competitiveness of this sector. The system aims at providing tourism enterprises with methodological advice and assistance in improving quality of services and professional knowledge, promoting the regional development and increasing

2 http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/tourism/documents/communications/commission-communication- 2007/index_en.htm

9 Country: SLOVAKIA Last update: April 2018 competitiveness. The tourism enterprises involved in the certification have a possibility to obtain an internationally comparable quality mark providing an indication of quality to prospective customers an also serving as a tool for motivating employees to perform better.

4.12. Please describe maximum three of the most significant planned / future tourism measures (legislative or non-legislative) which envisage to impact travellers visiting your country from other Member States or from outside Europe. (Max. 1000 characters) MoT intends to amend the Tourism Support Act, which is a very important systematic tool for developing and supporting destination management in Slovakia.

5. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

5.1. Please describe maximum 3 best practices of tourism measures implemented at national, regional or local level (any type of activity). (Max. 2000 characters) The National Tourist System of the Slovak Republic (NTS) – developed with the purpose to ensure the professional smart presentation of the Slovak Republic as an attractive tourist destination. The project includes the delivery of the module for planning the stay or trip as an interface that will be inserted into the www.slovakia.travel national internet portal, delivery of the mobile application and the national travel card. Thanks to the system, the user can create its own trip comprising information on destination, accommodation, navigation, motivation and benefits.

5.2. Please describe, in a concise manner, in your view, what policy developments / actions / activities would you expect from the Commission's tourism team that would serve better (than the current ones) the EU Member States and the industry. (Max. 2000 characters)

THANK YOU

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