Volunteer tourism is one of the fastest growing types of alternative travel, highlighting the need for sustainability. It has been studied in a number of researches that focus almost exclusively on the demand for certain projects in outbound tourism. With the aim of a more comprehensive view of the issue, this paper examines and compare the current state of demand for domestic and outgoing volunteer tourism within Slovakia. It is based on a quantitative survey conducted on a sample of 573 respondents who represent a representative picture of the population of Slovakia older than 15 years in terms of age and gender. It turns out that between 18 and 25% of the Slovak population participated in domestic volunteer tourism between 2013 and 2018 (in average 3-4% a year). Outbound volunteer tourism was 4 to 8% (approximately 1% a year). In both cases, potential demand clearly exceeds effective demand. As individuals grow older, participation in volunteer tourism decrease slightly, while participation in the home country is positively influenced by higher education while participation abroad is dependent on the individual's economic status. Participation in domestic volunteer tourism is largely influenced by volunteer-specific motives, this differs from outbound tourism, where tourist specific motives prevail. In the home country. Volunteers sometimes do not realize that they are involved in tourism; the altruistic motive of helping others is paramount. Important information about national volunteer tourism of Slovak residents is obtained mostly from direct sources. Time is the most decisive obstacle to people's participation in volunteer tourism. Comparing the demand of Slovak citizens for domestic and outgoing volunteer tourism shows the possibilities of its further development.* This research was supported by the VEGA project no. V-18-101-07-101312: Abandoned Slovakia: Effective solutions to the creative reuse of abandoned properties in non-urban areas.
BorseKová K, Cole D., PetríkoVá k., VAňoVá A., 2015. Nostalgic sentiment and cultural and creative industries in regional development: a Slovak case study. Quaestiones Geographicae 34(2), Bogucki Wydawnictwo Naukowe, Poznań, pp. 53-63, 3 figs, 3 tables. DOI 10.1515/quageo-2015-0015, ISSN 0137-477X.aBstraCt: In Slovakia, there are three unique, historical mining towns, Banská Bystrica, Banská Štiavnica and Kremnica, that have been successfully turned into creative cultural centres. The historical and cultural values of those towns have stood the test of time and become a magnet for a new and creative class of people looking to escape the brutality of high modernity (modern urban centres) and find a source of inspiration based on historical nostalgic sentimentalism -the basis for a new creative and cultural industry for rural areas. The main objective of this paper is to analyse the cultural and creative industries of these three unique historical mining centres with an eye to replicating their knowledge in other communities in economic stress. The paper will first explore concepts relating to cultural and creative industries with an eye towards nostalgic sentimentalism that is an important antithesis to high modernity, and even post-modernity. The second part will analyse the cultural and creative industries of the three centres based on primary data collected from several research projects in this area. The final part will provide some recommendations for the facilitation of creative and cultural enterprises in regional redevelopment. It also contains policy recommendations for the self-government of the region for a more effective and rational exploitation of the existing potential hiding in plain view.
In this article, we aim to analyse the state of abandoned properties in Slovak municipalities and present possible solutions for this issue. In the theoretical part, we define abandonment and the tools for abandonment based on the current literature review. Building on this framework, the paper analyses the towns and villages of selected Slovak region, that being Banská Bystrica self-governing region. To map abandoned properties located in a selected region, as well as to identify emotional value of these building and the instruments needed for their reconstruction or removal, a questionnaire was sent to the mayors of all municipalities of over 1,000 inhabitants in the region of Banská Bystrica – a total of 115 municipalities in 2019. This concentrated research on one region enabled us to have a closer look at the status of abandoned structures in municipalities in a typical area of Central and Eastern Europe. We compare the issue of abandonment in the commuter zone (the two largest cities in the regions and their surrounding) and the hinterlands. Research has shown that the population in the hinterlands is declining more than in the commuter zone, but more abandoned buildings are located in municipalities in the commuter zone. Buildings in need of repair that are important for the inhabitants (e.g. from the point of view of history), are registered in their municipality by 93% of mayors in the commuter zone and 84% in the hinterlands. The most frequent obstacles to repairing these buildings are considered by the mayors in both zones the many number of owners who cannot agree on a plan for saving the objects. The quantitative research is completed with an illustration of an abandoned object in Banská Bystrica.
The issue of fluctuation and personnel stabilization is a subject of discussion and study by several domestic and foreign authors. A typical situation in the Slovak labour market is a combination of factors for increasing demand for labour and a lack of qualified employees forcing hotel managers to internally change the perception of employees in terms of stability. The aim of the paper is to specify the causes of fluctuation and propose options for stabilizing the rate of turnover in the hospitality industry. A prerequisite for meeting the stated goal is to conduct a sociological inquiry in selected chains and independent hotels in Slovakia. This was achieved through a survey of hotels in 2018 highlighting the respondents' views on solving the challenges caused by increased fluctuation and the need for stability. The results identify the main reasons for employment turnover and helped formulate general conclusions and recommendations for the improvement of employee turnover.
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