The growing impact of tourism on the state budget yields justifies the efforts existing on all levels to gain the tourist dividend from the most dynamically developing economic sector. The increasing authority of the tourism industry as part of economy has revealed also opportunities for the regional co-operation, and its growing through the state borders is not just a fashionable slogan of the European integration.

Beskydy, spreading through borders of Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland can serve as an example. Apart from good skiing terrain and mountain walking pathways, they offer rich historical technical collections, natural parks, open-air museums, ruins of fortresses, castles and places of pilgrimage. The biggest problem were the borders. "Based on the initiative of districts of Frydek-Mistek, Novy Jicin, Vsetin, Cadca and Duchy of Bielsko-Biala we founded an association Beskydy Without Frontiers, the aim of which was to arrange the borders crossing on the tourist pathways to allow tourists to reach in one day either on foot, or by bike or by car everything what makes the Beskydy beautiful and attractive", says Cyril Vakula, owner of the Racio-rest Society in Cadca.

If in 1997, the group of the association initiators consisted of seven subjects, gradually their number has increased to 14 active and 9 supporting members. Although the wave of initial enthusiasm has encountered with traditionally limiting power of administration, the interest, in particular that of entrepreneurs in tourism, is convincing by ever new strength and viability of the project.

One of the inspiring examples being at hand is the Euroregion Beskydy founded by municipalities from the Polish District of Tesin and the Czech Districts of Karvina and Frydek-Mistek. The key idea of the project is the construction of a Polish - Czech 600 km long bikeway, which initiates involvement of all interesting activities into the tourism and assumes a 15 - 20% growth of number of visitors with adequate impact on economy of the territory concerned. "The motivating element is not only the revitalisation of regions from the tourist viewpoint, but the European Union subsidy to implement the project too", stresses Andrej Georg, Mayor of the District of Tesin.

The inspiring power of the tourist industry can be demonstrated on the example of municipality Hrusov in the District of Velky Krtis. "Our agricultural municipality with fruit trees and vineyards has preserved its folk character, archaic customs and pure nature till today", presents Jan Brhlos, one of the municipal officials. "In 1996 we jumped into the rural tourism by a festival Hontianska parada (Hontianska show), when during three days 400 inhabitants presented different aspects of our life, for example harvest, making bread, burning of charcoal, production of hruskovica (strong alcohol beverage from pears). Since then we not only repeat the show every August, but the municipality has tied attention of tourists seeking the forgotten island of peace and ancient life.

Of course, you can ask, what has the Hontianska show to do with the transfrontier co-operation. The festival organisers' intention was to arouse attention at least in framework of the large spectrum of home tourist industry. In the end they have reached more. The offer to spend holidays in Hrusov can be found in holiday and travelling programmes of several Hungarian travelling agencies, who find more and more inspiration for their activities in original places of the Slovak - Hungarian bordering regions similar to that of Hrusov.

Common interest in undertaking in the tourism has joined since 1992 the south-east part of the Czech Republic and the south-west part of Slovakia. The river Morava forms axis of the region called Pomoravie. Through it towns Skalica, Malacky, Holic, Hodonin, Kyjov, Straznice and Vsetin it presents itself as a region of brilliant wines, lively folk, natural beauties and diverse folk gastronomy. "The municipal and district bodies of the Slovak - Moravian march have united with the aim to make their region more attractive. To prove this they mutually produce a catalogue of offers, they contribute to development of tourism and they compete in improvement of conditions and offers", these are the word of Gabriela Sporkerova, expert of the Municipal Culture Centre in Skalica.

There isn't substantial difference as far as the targets of transfrontier co-operation programmes in different regions are concerned. With bigger or smaller consistency everybody wants achieve closer relations with a dominating factor of partnership creating mutually prosperous economic potential.

Slovak Trade FORUM