Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Cross-border Travel
Vladimír Balá
z
Introduction
population and structure of labour markets
on both sides of the border;
While the Czech and Slovak Republics, Hungary
and Poland have accounted for fairly similar
levels of social and economic development, this
by no means applies to all regions within these
countries. The shift from central planning to
market mechanisms has been accompanied by
sharp regional disparities, with border regions
being particularly affected by the processes of
convergence/divergence (see Smith, 1996). These
disparities are expressed in different income
and price levels between neighbouring border
regions and generate specific types of cross-
border exchange.
Cross-border visitor exchange is a distinctive
part of international travel. While all international
travel involves crossing borders, cross-border
exchange is a much more local and/or regional
affair. The volume and structure of cross-border
travel are affected by a number of factors. These
include:
intensity of cross-border cooperation at
state and regional levels, and the extent
and quality of travel infrastructure such as
numbers of border crossing points, quality
of road and railway connections.
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Some of these factors are subject to eco-
nomic and political changes. These were particu-
larly rapid and extensive in East Central Europe
(ECE: Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland)
after 1989 and were expressed in a thorough
revamping of travel regulations and improve-
ments in travel infrastructure. Travel motives, on
the other hand, tend to result from demographic
structures and tourist destinations on both sides
of the border and do not change so quickly.
Slovakia has borders with five countries
that range from a former constituent part of the
Soviet Union to a pre-existing EU member state.
Each border separates a unique combination of
adjacent border regions:
Northern Slovakia
, a less-developed region
adjoining a less-developed region in Poland;
regulations related to international and
trans-border travel, such as passport and
visa regulations, rules on travel by local
inhabitants in border areas, policies setting
custom duties, VAT and excise tax rates;
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Southern Slovakia,
a marginal region in
Slovakia bordering a marginal region in
Hungary;
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Western Slovakia
, a developed industrial
region, bordering a developed region in
the Czech Republic;
travel motives of the population in border
areas. These depend on the structure of
tourist destinations, ethnic composition of
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