(source: Erik Rédli)
Key words: advertising campaign, cycling route, deficiency, despite, destination, district, domestic tourists, executive director, extensive, fair, foreign tourists, gastronomy, generosity, head of office, infrastructure, inscribe, lure, mediaeval cellar, monument, national park, opt for, panoramic, perceive, ranking, requirements, rightfully, site, Slovak Tourist Board, spa, subsequent, tourism
Warm up questions:
1, What are the most popular tourist destinations in Slovakia?
2, Tourists from which countries are interested in Slovakia? What languages can you hear in ski centre, spas, mountains?
3, If you were a tour guide in Bratislava, which 5 sights would you pick as ‘must see’ and why?
4, What would you show a foreign friend who is visiting Slovakia? Pick 3 destinatnions!
5, What should be done to improve the tourism in Slovakia?
6, If you were on holiday abroad, what type of services or facilities you liked the most? Are they available in Slovakia? Could they improve the quality of tourism under the Tatras?
Vocabulary activities:
1, What do you understand by infrastructure, gastronomy, spa, mediaeval cellar, cycling route
2, Can you find these places/objects in Slovakia?
Reading Comprehension - Tourism numbers down in 2014
1, How many people were on holiday in Slovakia between January and September 2014?
2, Why is strong euro bad for the Slovak holiday destinations?
3, Find evidence which states that military conflicts harm tourism in Slovakia.
4, How much money did the tourists bring during the nine months of 2014?
5, Why is Prešov Region amongst the most popular tourist destinations?
6, What helped Košice to become more attractive for the tourists?
7, Where can you taste wine in authentic settings?
8, Where is the largest castle complex in central Europe?
9, What are the tourists interested in, according to SACR?
10, Find evidence that speaking language can help you to get a job in tourism.
11, Which is the free ingredient that is often missing?
T - F
1, There were less tourists in 2014 than in 2013.
2, On average, people stay in Slovakia for about 3 days.
3, More trains, busses and improved roads did not help the tourism.
4, Majority of visitors in the High Tatras are foreigners.
The statement: While the destination preferences of tourists have not changed, their requirements on the whole system as well as level and quality of offered services has, Kóňa said. can be understood as:
A, the tourists are pleased with the services at the traditional destinations
B, the tourists complain about the services at the destinations and therefore they look for new places
C, the tourists are like the traditional destinations but expect new services
D, tourists are satisfied with the services but think that non-traditional destinations offer higher quality
Rewrite the sentences using modals of probability: can, might, could, may, may not, can't, must...
1, One of the reasons [for the drop] is the strengthening of the euro against the currencies of neighbouring countries which increased the price of holidays for potential visitors to Slovakia.
The strengthening of the euro against the neighbouring currencies...
2, The season was also affected by the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, and subsequent sanctions against Russia
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia…
3, While in the past the foreign tourists preferred mostly Bratislava and the High Tatras, in the past years they also discovered Košice, mostly thanks to the title of the European Capital of Culture (ECOC) in 2013 and also better transport connection.
The title ECOC in 2013 and better transport connections…
Answers Comprehension tourism:
1, 2,885,305
2, because the prices increase, in comparison to other currencies, and people find it expensive
3, The season was also affected by the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, and subsequent sanctions against Russia
4, €1.476 billion
5, they have The High Tatras there
6, improved infrastructure (roads, communications, transport) and being the European Capital of Culture in 2013
7, Tokaj wine region
8, Spis Castle
9, The visitors are the most interested in possibilities of summer hiking in the mountains, visits of UNESCO monuments, spas, aquaparks, and also weekend visits to towns,” SACR head Marta Kučerová said
10, Moreover, those active in tourism focus on gastronomy and even hire people who can speak foreign languages.
11, SMILE
True - False
1, T - 9% drop
2, T - three nights
3, F, transport connection & infrastructure
4, F, 60% are Slovaks
Sentences, some possible answers
1, One of the reasons [for the drop] is the strengthening of the euro against the currencies of neighbouring countries which increased the price of holidays for potential visitors to Slovakia.
The strengthening of the euro against the neighbouring currencies can be one of the reasons that increased the price of holidays./could have increased the price of holidays...
2, The season was also affected by the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, and subsequent sanctions against Russia
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia…might have affected the holiday season in Slovakia.
3, While in the past the foreign tourists preferred mostly Bratislava and the High Tatras, in the past years they also discovered Košice, mostly thanks to the title of the European Capital of Culture (ECOC) in 2013 and also better transport connection.
The title ECOC in 2013 and better transport connections…could have Kosice to be discovered by the tourists./could have helped Kosice to attract more tourists...
This exercise is published as part of Spectator College, a programme created by The Slovak Spectator with the support of Petit Academy Foundation and Orange Foundation .
