Suchá Belá gorge. (source: TASR)
The tourist season is in full swing at the Čingov resort in Slovak Paradise and on this occasion, a new car camping site has opened.
The Košice Self-Governing Region (KSK) supported its construction with €40,000 from its Terra Incognita grant scheme, said the project's author Eugen Rogovský.
This open space, created right near the hotel, will participate in its annual operation from May to October.
Caravans, motorhomes and tents will be allowed to park on 26 parking areas. Social facilities are also built within the area, which is "pet friendly".
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"The number of visitors to camping sites in Slovakia is not comparable to other countries such as the Netherlands, Croatia, Germany, Italy, but this method of travel is finding more and more supporters in our country as well. Our goal is to develop domestic and foreign tourism through the provision of quality services and infrastructure at the level of foreign standards," said Rogovský, as quoted by the TASR news agency.
KSK Governor Rastislav Trnka pointed out that Čingov is one of the oldest and most famous tourist centres in Slovak Paradise National Park, also being the reason why they support the development of tourism in the locality.
"Thanks to support from the KSK, the facilities for tourists are constantly improving - children's via ferratas, relaxation areas and gazebos are being added. We are glad that this sought-after location is expanding its services to include a new type of overnight stay," added Trnka.
The Executive Director of the Košice Regional Tourism Organization, Región Turizmus, Lenka Vargová Jurková, added that in the post-pandemic recovery period, camping is becoming a rapidly growing tourist trend in Slovakia as well. She appreciated that quality camps in the region are increasing.
"A good example is a well-established campsite in the heart of the Tokaj region, Camping Malá Bara, or the newly renovated Route E58 Camp Košice just four kilometres from the centre of Košice," she emphasised. Vargová Jurková notes that caravan travel in the Košice Region and the use of campsites are also positively perceived in terms of the ecotourism strategy and sustainability of tourism.
The project is welcomed by conservationists. The director of the Slovak Paradise National Park Administration, Tomáš Dražil, said that they have occasionally encountered caravans parked on forest roads in protected areas and turns into valleys in recent years.
"The campsite is well situated, also in a nice area. The capacity is not that big. Demand will show whether it will be full or not. We see that there are more caravaners visiting Slovak Paradise, so they might welcome another area in the south of the national park, near Hrabušice, or at other boarding centres," stated Dražil.
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