Perspectives of Sustainable Tourism Development in the Region – Case Study

Abstract

Tourism development can be defined as the process of creating strategies and plans to increase, support, and promote tourism in a destination. A tourism region is a destination with primary and secondary offer in which the visitor has the opportunity to experience tourism activities. In our paper, we focus on tourism development the selected region, which is the High Tatras—Foothills, as one of the most visited regions in Slovakia. The aim of the paper is to propose further options for the sustainable development of tourism in the region on the basis of the analysis and evaluation of the current state of tourism in the region. The intention is to examine and analyze the tourism offer in the region, to find out what is the demand for tourism in the region and to identify the perspectives for the development of sustainable tourism in the region. The economic principle and securing income from tourism are one of the decisive factors, but at the same time, the main emphasis in the development should be placed on preserving the natural environment, i.e., respecting the environmental principle, and at the same time, also the local population should benefit from the development of tourism, i.e., the social principle. The result of this strategy is to satisfy all stakeholders and increase the region’s competitive position on the international tourism market, in line with respect for the protection of natural and cultural resources.