Abstract
Now that the novelty factor of visiting the former communist countries of Eastern and Central Europe is over, the focus must be on product quality, professional service and value for money if an internationally competitive tourism product is to emerge. The natural assets of the Slovak Republic point towards an unfulfilled potential for rural tourism. This paper critiques the results from a British Know How Fund three-year project to build the rural tourism offer for Roznava Okres, a declining mining area in the Slovak Republic. The four key activities were the creation of a three-year marketing plan, the establishment of a Tourist Information Centre, the formation of a local tourism association, and the delivery of training courses. The main international target markets were identified as Hungary and the Czech Republic, with Germany, Poland and the Netherlands forming secondary segments. Results from the TIC tracking studies indicated that France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands could merit future attention for market development. Lessons from this project could be applied to rural tourism areas in other former Eastern bloc countries.
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