FINAL REPORT ON THE TRADE FAIR HUNTING AND LEISURE, GOLF AND WELLNESS, CAMERA SLOVAKIA 2008
I. BASIC INFORMATION
On 17 – 20 January 2008, the 14th tourism trade fair ITF SLOVAKIATOUR, the 15th specialised exhibition HUNTING AND LEISURE, the 1st exhibition GOLF AND WELLNESS and the 5th festival of travel films, photographs and publications CAMERA SLOVAKIA took place at Incheba Expo Bratislava.
Through the auspices of the Slovak Ministry of Economy and by the professional guarantee from the Slovak Agency for Tourism, from the Slovak Association of Travel Bureaus and Travel Agencies, from the Association of Municipalities of Slovakia and from the Slovak Hotel and Restaurant Union for the trade fair, in line with the manifesto of the Slovak government, the interest in a significant position of tourism as an important industry of the Slovak economy, is being strengthened also in this way. The easy-to-read offer of travel agencies and services in tourism, international tourist centres and regions, as well as domestic regions, ranks the trade fair among the most significant ones of the kind in the Central European region. This year a record 530 exhibitors from 29 countries had their presentations at the trade fair.
Statistical results of the trade fair event:
1. Total net exhibition area 9 950 m2
domestic exhibitors in an area of 6 800 m2
international exhibitors in an area of 3 150 m2
2. Number of exhibitors 530
domestic exhibitors 350
international exhibitors 180
3. Number of represented countries 29
Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Egypt, Finland, Greece, Croatia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malta, Hungary, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Austria, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, United Arab Emirates, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Italy, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, Great Britain
4. Number of visitors 62 712 Registered professional public 8 965
The partner country of ITF SLOVAKIATOUR was Poland and the domestic partner region was the Bratislava Self-Governing Region.
The project Poland – the partner country of ITF SLOVAKIATOUR took place in cooperation with the Polish Tourist Organisation. Poland ranks among the countries in which the tourism is developing very dynamically and belongs to a small group of countries with a great potential in tourism. Poland thus showed its interest in the Slovak clientele, as the geographical and language closeness and culture are great preconditions for increasing interest among tourists from Slovakia.
The Bratislava Self-Governing Region is the first domestic region that, as the partner region of the trade fair, drew attention of the visitors of the trade fair in a significant way by its presentation of the opportunities of the region’s tourist potential. The Bratislava Self-Governing Region thus showed interest in the strengthening of the domestic tourism.
Traditionally along ITF SLOVAKIATOUR, the 15th specialised exhibition Hunting and Leisure took place with a wide offer of services, clothing and footwear for lovers of hunting and spending leisure time in the nature. All visitors and, in particular hunters, were pleased by the opportunity to participate in and to see the 4th Slovak Championship in Wild Animal Luring, which took place in the premises of the Programme Centre on Saturday, 19 January.
A small jubilee was marked by the 5th CAMERA SLOVAKIA - a festival of travel films, photographs and publications, which took place on 19 – 20 January 2008. Compared with the previous year, the festival recorded a higher attendance by visitors and also by those who took part in the contests or contributed with a non-competitive photographic exhibition or a film. A number of personalities attended the fetival, including Pavol Barabáš, Boris Filan, Ľuboš Fellner, Karol Kállay, František Kele, Jozef Kopold, Henrich Krejča and Martin Nikodým.
For the first time, an exhibition devoted to golf and wellness took place in the premises of Hall D2. At that new event, we created space for companies that offer complete golfing equipment as well as the possibilities of equipping hotels with a wellness programme.
Visitors who like non-traditional holidays in caravans, could visit the Camping, Caravaning and Motor Tourism Project in the premises of Hall A2. During the weekend days, the first year of the presentation of films, slides and photographs from European destinations under the name “A Thousand Tastes of Travelling” took place in the Expo Club.
II. FESTIVE OPENING
The festive opening of the event was attended by the Slovak Minister of Economy Ľubomír Jahnátek, Slovak Minister of Agriculture Zdenka Kramplová, Deputy Chairman of the Slovak Parliament Milan Hort, Deputy Chairman of the Slovak Parliament Viliam Veteška, State Secretary of the Slovak Ministry of Economy Ivan Rybárik, State Secretary of the Slovak Ministry of Agriculture Viliam Turský, State Secretary of the Slovak Ministry of Environment Dušan Muňko, State Secretary of the Slovak Ministry of Transport, Posts and Telecommunications Milan Mojš, Chairman of the Superme Control Office Ján Jasovský, Chairman of the Polish Tourist Organisation Rafal Szmytke, Chairman of the Bratislava Self-Governing Region Vladimír Bajan, Chairman of the Trenčín Self-Governing Region Pavol Sedláček, Chairman of the Žilina Self-Governing Region Juraj Blanár, Chairman of the Nitra Self-Governing Region Milan Belica, Chairman of the Trnava Self-Governing Region Tibor Mikuš, Chairman of the Košice Self-Governing Region Zdenko Trebuľa, Chairman of the Prešov Self-Governing Region Peter Chudík, Chairman of the Sub-Carpathian Self-Governing Region Zygmunt Cholewiński, Chairman of the Mazowiecki Self-Governing Region Artur Buczyński, Chairman of the Central Bohemian Region Petr Bendl, Chairman of the Association of Municipalities of Slovakia Michal Sýkora, Chairman of the Slovak Chamber of Trade and Industry Peter Mihók, President of the Slovak Hunting Union Tibor Lebocký, mayors of the city quarters of Bratislava, mayors of the participating cities, towns and villages, ambassadors and other members of the diplomatic corps, directors of international centres of tourism from participating countries, exhibitors and other guests.
III. ACCOMPANYING PROGRAMMES
For professional visitors of the trade fair, in cooperation with professional partners of the trade fair, we prepared an international workshop “Domestic Tourism – Rural Tourism – Wine Tours”, which took place on 18 January in the premises of the cinema hall in the Expo Arena. The workshop focused on the domestic tourism in the rural environment, with the specification of the marketing of rural tourism in Austria and the Czech Republic, as well as of the overall support of the development of wine tourism in the Central European region. Besides that event, the Croatian-Slovak Workshop and the Hungarian-Slovak workshop took place in the premises of the Expo Club.
IV. EVALUATION OF CONTESTS
At a festive gala reception, which took place under the auspices of the partner country and of the partner domestic region, the festive announcement of the Personality of Slovakia’s Tourism in 2007.
The nominated personalities were:
- Ľubomír Motyčka, Chief Editor of the Cestovateľ (Traveller) magazine,
- Michal Ševčík, Eng., Chief State Counsel of the Slovak Ministry of Economy,
- Dr. Juraj Hlatký, Chairman of the Slovak nationwide organisation Slovak Cyclo Club,
- Katarína Vasičáková, Director of the Hotel Satel**** in Levoča,
- Zdena Balážová, Eng., owner of a travel agency,
- Lýdia Ondrejková, Eng., Officer for Regional Development at the Municipality of Prievidza,
- Ján Papco, M.A., Director of the Slovak National Museum – Museum of Bojnice,
- Vladimír Bárta, Eng., artistic photographer and journalist,
- František Janata, Chef of the Slovak Restaurant in Bratislava,.
- Klaus Pilz, Managing Director of the Slovenské liečebné kúpele (spa) Piešťany a.s.,
- Peter Sárinec, Eng., Head of the Department of the Banská Bystrica Self-Governing Region,
- Ján Bočkay, Eng., co-owner of the company HOTEL LUX B&B, s.r.o., which operates the Hotel LUX in Banská Bystrica,
- Ján Mokoš, Eng., Mayor of the town of Vysoké Tatry,
- Jaroslav Velička, PaedDr, Director of a Special Primary School in Čadca.
As the Personality of the Slovakia’s Tourism in 2007 was declared Ľubomír Motyčka.
Prizes of the Managing Director of Incheba, a.s.:
PRIZE For the contribution to the materialisation of the ITF Slovakiatour trade fair has been won by the trade fair’s Partner Country - Poland
PRIZE for the contribution to the materialisation of the ITF Slovakiatour trade fair has been won by the trade fair‘s Partner Region – the Bratislava Self-Governing Region
V. PROMOTION
During the whole period of the trade fair, there was very high interest from representatives of Slovak as well as international media. 453 journalists were accredited in the press centre. Information about the trade fair got to the main news bulletins of TV Markíza, STV1, STV2, TV JOJ, TA3 and a number of regional televisions. Information and live inputs were heard in the broadcasts of the radios Expres, Fun Rádio, Viva and Slovak Radio. The trade fair was paid attention to by the newspapers Pravda, Nový čas, SME, Hospodárske noviny, Šport, Plus 1 deň, Új szó, Trend, Roľnícke noviny, Obecné noviny and by regional newspapers: Považskobystrické noviny, Kysucké noviny, Trenčianske noviny, Trnavské noviny, Bratislavské Echo and Trenčianske Echo. The promotion of the trade fair event was also supported by media partners – Astor Slovakia, Cestovateľ, COT, HEPEX SLOVAKIA, MAGNET PRESS, SLOVAKIA and TTG. The advertising campaign included billboards, bigboards, backlights, advertising spots in the radios Expres, Fun rádio, Viva, Slovak Radio and advertisements in the newspapers SME, Pravda, Šport and Nový čas. A quality media campaign was reflected in the record visitor attendance, while as many as 87 % of exhibitors assessed the promotion of the trade fair positively.
VI. POSITION ON THE MARKET
ITF SLOVAKIATOUR., together its parallel exhibitions, has been proving its unambiguous position in Slovakia as well as an important position among tourism trade fairs in the Central European Region for a long time. The trade fair’s coverage, the number of exhibitors, the dignified exhibition premises, the quality programme for professional and the diverse accompanying programme for the public ranks the trade fair among the top European tourism trade fairs.
VII. EVALUATION OF THE TRADE FAIR
The 14th International Tourism Trade Fair ITF SLOVAKIATOUR 2008 is, according to the assessment by the media, by the professional public and by the participating exhibitors, one of the most significant and most prestigious events in the field of tourism. That is confirmed by the composition of the exhibitors and by the suitable linking with other exhibition events organised at the same time.
VIII. INFORMATION ABOUT THE NEXT YEAR
Already now Incheba Expo Bratislava looks forward to the next year of the trade fair, which will take place on 22 - 25 January 2009 and, together, we believe it will be of even higher quality and richer of exhibitors from among businesses as well as regions promoting opportunities in tourism not just at home but also abroad. The interest in the trade fair has already been shown by 100 participating exhibitors of the now ended 14th year.
We look forward to working with you.
Ernest NAGY, Eng.
Trade Fair Manager
T 421 2 6727 2588
F 421 2 6727 2201
E enagy@incheba.sk
E slovakiatour@incheba.sk
W www.incheba.sk
I. BASIC INFORMATION
On 17 – 20 January 2008, the 14th tourism trade fair ITF SLOVAKIATOUR, the 15th specialised exhibition HUNTING AND LEISURE, the 1st exhibition GOLF AND WELLNESS and the 5th festival of travel films, photographs and publications CAMERA SLOVAKIA took place at Incheba Expo Bratislava.
Through the auspices of the Slovak Ministry of Economy and by the professional guarantee from the Slovak Agency for Tourism, from the Slovak Association of Travel Bureaus and Travel Agencies, from the Association of Municipalities of Slovakia and from the Slovak Hotel and Restaurant Union for the trade fair, in line with the manifesto of the Slovak government, the interest in a significant position of tourism as an important industry of the Slovak economy, is being strengthened also in this way. The easy-to-read offer of travel agencies and services in tourism, international tourist centres and regions, as well as domestic regions, ranks the trade fair among the most significant ones of the kind in the Central European region. This year a record 530 exhibitors from 29 countries had their presentations at the trade fair.
Statistical results of the trade fair event:
1. Total net exhibition area 9 950 m2
domestic exhibitors in an area of 6 800 m2
international exhibitors in an area of 3 150 m2
2. Number of exhibitors 530
domestic exhibitors 350
international exhibitors 180
3. Number of represented countries 29
Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Egypt, Finland, Greece, Croatia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malta, Hungary, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Austria, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, United Arab Emirates, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Italy, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, Great Britain
4. Number of visitors 62 712 Registered professional public 8 965
The partner country of ITF SLOVAKIATOUR was Poland and the domestic partner region was the Bratislava Self-Governing Region.
The project Poland – the partner country of ITF SLOVAKIATOUR took place in cooperation with the Polish Tourist Organisation. Poland ranks among the countries in which the tourism is developing very dynamically and belongs to a small group of countries with a great potential in tourism. Poland thus showed its interest in the Slovak clientele, as the geographical and language closeness and culture are great preconditions for increasing interest among tourists from Slovakia.
The Bratislava Self-Governing Region is the first domestic region that, as the partner region of the trade fair, drew attention of the visitors of the trade fair in a significant way by its presentation of the opportunities of the region’s tourist potential. The Bratislava Self-Governing Region thus showed interest in the strengthening of the domestic tourism.
Traditionally along ITF SLOVAKIATOUR, the 15th specialised exhibition Hunting and Leisure took place with a wide offer of services, clothing and footwear for lovers of hunting and spending leisure time in the nature. All visitors and, in particular hunters, were pleased by the opportunity to participate in and to see the 4th Slovak Championship in Wild Animal Luring, which took place in the premises of the Programme Centre on Saturday, 19 January.
A small jubilee was marked by the 5th CAMERA SLOVAKIA - a festival of travel films, photographs and publications, which took place on 19 – 20 January 2008. Compared with the previous year, the festival recorded a higher attendance by visitors and also by those who took part in the contests or contributed with a non-competitive photographic exhibition or a film. A number of personalities attended the fetival, including Pavol Barabáš, Boris Filan, Ľuboš Fellner, Karol Kállay, František Kele, Jozef Kopold, Henrich Krejča and Martin Nikodým.
For the first time, an exhibition devoted to golf and wellness took place in the premises of Hall D2. At that new event, we created space for companies that offer complete golfing equipment as well as the possibilities of equipping hotels with a wellness programme.
Visitors who like non-traditional holidays in caravans, could visit the Camping, Caravaning and Motor Tourism Project in the premises of Hall A2. During the weekend days, the first year of the presentation of films, slides and photographs from European destinations under the name “A Thousand Tastes of Travelling” took place in the Expo Club.
II. FESTIVE OPENING
The festive opening of the event was attended by the Slovak Minister of Economy Ľubomír Jahnátek, Slovak Minister of Agriculture Zdenka Kramplová, Deputy Chairman of the Slovak Parliament Milan Hort, Deputy Chairman of the Slovak Parliament Viliam Veteška, State Secretary of the Slovak Ministry of Economy Ivan Rybárik, State Secretary of the Slovak Ministry of Agriculture Viliam Turský, State Secretary of the Slovak Ministry of Environment Dušan Muňko, State Secretary of the Slovak Ministry of Transport, Posts and Telecommunications Milan Mojš, Chairman of the Superme Control Office Ján Jasovský, Chairman of the Polish Tourist Organisation Rafal Szmytke, Chairman of the Bratislava Self-Governing Region Vladimír Bajan, Chairman of the Trenčín Self-Governing Region Pavol Sedláček, Chairman of the Žilina Self-Governing Region Juraj Blanár, Chairman of the Nitra Self-Governing Region Milan Belica, Chairman of the Trnava Self-Governing Region Tibor Mikuš, Chairman of the Košice Self-Governing Region Zdenko Trebuľa, Chairman of the Prešov Self-Governing Region Peter Chudík, Chairman of the Sub-Carpathian Self-Governing Region Zygmunt Cholewiński, Chairman of the Mazowiecki Self-Governing Region Artur Buczyński, Chairman of the Central Bohemian Region Petr Bendl, Chairman of the Association of Municipalities of Slovakia Michal Sýkora, Chairman of the Slovak Chamber of Trade and Industry Peter Mihók, President of the Slovak Hunting Union Tibor Lebocký, mayors of the city quarters of Bratislava, mayors of the participating cities, towns and villages, ambassadors and other members of the diplomatic corps, directors of international centres of tourism from participating countries, exhibitors and other guests.
III. ACCOMPANYING PROGRAMMES
For professional visitors of the trade fair, in cooperation with professional partners of the trade fair, we prepared an international workshop “Domestic Tourism – Rural Tourism – Wine Tours”, which took place on 18 January in the premises of the cinema hall in the Expo Arena. The workshop focused on the domestic tourism in the rural environment, with the specification of the marketing of rural tourism in Austria and the Czech Republic, as well as of the overall support of the development of wine tourism in the Central European region. Besides that event, the Croatian-Slovak Workshop and the Hungarian-Slovak workshop took place in the premises of the Expo Club.
IV. EVALUATION OF CONTESTS
At a festive gala reception, which took place under the auspices of the partner country and of the partner domestic region, the festive announcement of the Personality of Slovakia’s Tourism in 2007.
The nominated personalities were:
- Ľubomír Motyčka, Chief Editor of the Cestovateľ (Traveller) magazine,
- Michal Ševčík, Eng., Chief State Counsel of the Slovak Ministry of Economy,
- Dr. Juraj Hlatký, Chairman of the Slovak nationwide organisation Slovak Cyclo Club,
- Katarína Vasičáková, Director of the Hotel Satel**** in Levoča,
- Zdena Balážová, Eng., owner of a travel agency,
- Lýdia Ondrejková, Eng., Officer for Regional Development at the Municipality of Prievidza,
- Ján Papco, M.A., Director of the Slovak National Museum – Museum of Bojnice,
- Vladimír Bárta, Eng., artistic photographer and journalist,
- František Janata, Chef of the Slovak Restaurant in Bratislava,.
- Klaus Pilz, Managing Director of the Slovenské liečebné kúpele (spa) Piešťany a.s.,
- Peter Sárinec, Eng., Head of the Department of the Banská Bystrica Self-Governing Region,
- Ján Bočkay, Eng., co-owner of the company HOTEL LUX B&B, s.r.o., which operates the Hotel LUX in Banská Bystrica,
- Ján Mokoš, Eng., Mayor of the town of Vysoké Tatry,
- Jaroslav Velička, PaedDr, Director of a Special Primary School in Čadca.
As the Personality of the Slovakia’s Tourism in 2007 was declared Ľubomír Motyčka.
Prizes of the Managing Director of Incheba, a.s.:
PRIZE For the contribution to the materialisation of the ITF Slovakiatour trade fair has been won by the trade fair’s Partner Country - Poland
PRIZE for the contribution to the materialisation of the ITF Slovakiatour trade fair has been won by the trade fair‘s Partner Region – the Bratislava Self-Governing Region
V. PROMOTION
During the whole period of the trade fair, there was very high interest from representatives of Slovak as well as international media. 453 journalists were accredited in the press centre. Information about the trade fair got to the main news bulletins of TV Markíza, STV1, STV2, TV JOJ, TA3 and a number of regional televisions. Information and live inputs were heard in the broadcasts of the radios Expres, Fun Rádio, Viva and Slovak Radio. The trade fair was paid attention to by the newspapers Pravda, Nový čas, SME, Hospodárske noviny, Šport, Plus 1 deň, Új szó, Trend, Roľnícke noviny, Obecné noviny and by regional newspapers: Považskobystrické noviny, Kysucké noviny, Trenčianske noviny, Trnavské noviny, Bratislavské Echo and Trenčianske Echo. The promotion of the trade fair event was also supported by media partners – Astor Slovakia, Cestovateľ, COT, HEPEX SLOVAKIA, MAGNET PRESS, SLOVAKIA and TTG. The advertising campaign included billboards, bigboards, backlights, advertising spots in the radios Expres, Fun rádio, Viva, Slovak Radio and advertisements in the newspapers SME, Pravda, Šport and Nový čas. A quality media campaign was reflected in the record visitor attendance, while as many as 87 % of exhibitors assessed the promotion of the trade fair positively.
VI. POSITION ON THE MARKET
ITF SLOVAKIATOUR., together its parallel exhibitions, has been proving its unambiguous position in Slovakia as well as an important position among tourism trade fairs in the Central European Region for a long time. The trade fair’s coverage, the number of exhibitors, the dignified exhibition premises, the quality programme for professional and the diverse accompanying programme for the public ranks the trade fair among the top European tourism trade fairs.
VII. EVALUATION OF THE TRADE FAIR
The 14th International Tourism Trade Fair ITF SLOVAKIATOUR 2008 is, according to the assessment by the media, by the professional public and by the participating exhibitors, one of the most significant and most prestigious events in the field of tourism. That is confirmed by the composition of the exhibitors and by the suitable linking with other exhibition events organised at the same time.
VIII. INFORMATION ABOUT THE NEXT YEAR
Already now Incheba Expo Bratislava looks forward to the next year of the trade fair, which will take place on 22 - 25 January 2009 and, together, we believe it will be of even higher quality and richer of exhibitors from among businesses as well as regions promoting opportunities in tourism not just at home but also abroad. The interest in the trade fair has already been shown by 100 participating exhibitors of the now ended 14th year.
We look forward to working with you.
Ernest NAGY, Eng.
Trade Fair Manager
T 421 2 6727 2588
F 421 2 6727 2201
E enagy@incheba.sk
E slovakiatour@incheba.sk
W www.incheba.sk