On 12 - 14 March 2026, our organisation, based on the positive experience from previous years, once again participated in the international tourism fair Holiday World & Region World in Prague.
The event is one of the stable and long-established trade fairs in the Central European area, with more than 250-300 exhibitors from approximately 20 or more countries regularly presenting themselves in past editions. Attendance was in the thousands of visitors from both the professional and general public. Again this year, approximately 20 countries and 300 exhibitors took part in the fair, with the entire event spread over three exhibition halls. The format of the fair is a combination of B2B and B2C presentations - the first day is traditionally dedicated to the professional public, while the following days are open to a wide range of visitors. This model allows to effectively link professional meetings with the presentation of destinations directly to the end visitors.
Our participation was carried out under the auspices of the national organisation Slovakia Travel, while regional tourism organisations from all over Slovakia were represented at the fair in a joint exhibition. The joint presentation contributed to a coherent image of Slovakia as an attractive destination and at the same time strengthened the visibility of individual regions.
The first day of the fair was dedicated to the professional public and was used for business meetings, networking and networking. During this day, the Minister of Tourism and Sport Rudolf Huliak also visited the fair, thus underlining the importance of Slovakia's presentation on foreign markets. During the following days, the fair was open to the general public and throughout the duration of the event a steady interest of visitors was recorded. The Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to the Czech Republic also supported the fair with his visit, which contributed to highlighting the importance of the joint presentation of Slovakia.
Our presentation focused on introducing the region through promotional materials, personal communication and audiovisual presentation. At the fair we also presented our new visual identity „Region Šariš - Near East“, which attracted positive reactions and helped to make the presentation of the region more attractive.
We explained our product lines to visitors, with the greatest interest in hiking, programmes for families with children, hiking and adventure activities, as well as cycling and cycle routes. Attention was also drawn to our outdoor app, which was perceived as a modern tool for getting to know the region and orientation in the range of activities on offer.
Within the fair, we also presented the top products and attractions of the region, including the Slovak Opal Mine, Solivar, as well as the Slanské vrchy subdestination presented as an oasis of experiences and pure nature. Visitors' interest was also aroused by the product line of the Šariš Castle Route, which is one of the main thematic products of the region. The presentation also included visual support through a destination video, a video of the Šariš Castle Route and VNŠ products, which contributed to an attractive and modern image of the region.
Another positive moment was the visit of students from the University of Economics in Bratislava, as well as students from Czech schools who showed interest in our stand, the functioning of the destination and tourism marketing in practice. This interaction contributed to linking theory with practice and at the same time to raising awareness of the region among the young generation.
We evaluate our participation at the fair as beneficial in terms of presenting the region, strengthening awareness of its offer on the Czech market, as well as establishing new contacts and partnerships. During the fair we managed to gain new contacts for cooperation with partners from the Czech market, which represents a potential for further development of joint activities and increase in the number of visitors to the region.
The knowledge gained about current trends in tourism will be used in further product development and marketing activities. The fair has once again confirmed the growing interest in active, experiential and family tourism, as well as the importance of personal presentation in foreign markets.
Realized with financial support of the Ministry of Tourism and Sport of the Slovak Republic.
Source: the Regional Tourism Organisation Región Šariš
Source of photos: the Regional Tourism Organisation Región Šariš
