Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
38,500 km of walking trails, 19,024 km
cycling routes, and 1240 km cross-country
ski circuits;
information, advertising, publicity and research,
and is a member of international organizations
engaged in tourism, such as the European
Tourism Commission (ETC), European Federa-
tion of Conference Towns (EFCT), Association
of German Coach Carriers, and German Asso-
ciation of Travel Agencies. It cooperates with
regional
over 20,000 lakes and other water bodies;
and
more than 30 spas, some of them with a
long
tradition,
such
as
Karlovy
Vary
(Karlsbad), Mariánske Lázn f .
These are complemented by a wide range
of accommodation facilities, including 8211
registered establishments, 19 five-star and 201
four-star hotels, and a total of 261 hotels with
congress facilities, 478 tourist campsites, 1069
self-catering units and hostels (Czech Tourism,
2005).
authorities
to
provide
a
national
tourism information system.
Regional offices, municipal authorities and
communities perceive tourism as an important
business activity and provide resources for its
development. There are also several types of
regional associations and destination manage-
ment companies in the Czech Republic. These
have been established by city councils, develop-
ment funds, or as an initiative of tourism entre-
preneurs. They aim to attract tourists to specific
geographic regions, develop tourism marketing
strategies, cooperate with partners, support and
coordinate local businesses, develop tourism
products, public relations and destination
image, and provide crisis management. Most
city councils have established visitor bureaux,
some of which are operated by independent
entrepreneurs. There are also a number of
different special interest and professional orga-
nizations, associations, and unions acting to
guarantee the quality of the services provided
by their members. However, the administrative
division of the country is not identical to that of
tourism regions (Fig. 9.1). This geographical
inconsistency, together with numerous adminis-
trative regulations, results in a low level of coop-
eration among regional administrative bodies in
the field of tourism.
Administration of Tourism
The state administration of tourism is undertaken
by
the
Ministry
for
Regional
Development,
which has three major roles:
proposing and implementing measures
aimed at strengthening international coop-
eration in the field of tourism;
preparing relevant legislation and analysis;
and
carrying out duties arising from member-
ship of the World Tourism Organization
and other organizations.
The country's Parliament is comprised of
the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.
Within the committee structure of the former,
there is a sub-committee for tourism and crisis
regions overseen by the Committee for Eco-
nomy, and a sub-committee for the promotion
of the Czech Republic abroad falling within the
Committee for Foreign Affairs. These sub-
committees deal with legislative, promotional and
developmental issues in an advisory capacity.
Since 1993, the Czech Tourism Authority
has been the prime government agency respon-
sible for the promotion of tourism. It has an
office in Prague, and coordinates 29 inter-
national branch offices. Its mission is to develop
travel to the Czech Republic from abroad as a
stimulus to economic stability, growth of the
Czech travel industry, and expanded foreign
exchange earnings. To these ends, the Czech
Tourism
Impacts of EU Accession Processes
on Tourism Development in the
Czech Republic
The processes of EU accession compliance
requirements, EU laws and norms have influ-
enced and continue to impact upon tourism
development in a number of both positive and
negative ways:
It can be argued that the harmonization of
legislation, requiring the implementation of
obligatory standards and norms can create
familiar environments and quality criteria
Authority
conducts
programmes
of
Search WWH ::




Custom Search