FIR Experts start a new project of the Visegrad Fund called “UNESCO sites – balanced and sustainable tourism development”

Starting September 24, 2021, a team composed of experts from the University of Economics and Business Prague (the main solver), Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznaň, UMB Banská Bystrica, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences conduct research for a project “UNESCO sites – balanced and sustainable tourism development.”

Aim of the project

The project addresses the issue of tourism in regards to sustainability and balancing the attractivity and commerce, and keeping the genius loci of the unique site. The pre-research among the smaller UNESCO sites in all 4 countries revealed similar issues: the main problem in this respect is lack of understanding of the issues of sustainability in a long-term period (61%), lack of objective facts and evidence for argumentation (inhabitants, funding applications, cooperation,…) (43%), and difficulties to monitor the development (overtourism, quality of visitors, space for inhabitants,…) (43%). A significantly smaller problem is the underqualified staff (26%). The number of sites listed on the UNESCO list grew in the last years in Central Europe. Some sites were not able to manage the position resulting from the worldwide attractivity, and the need for regulation was obvious. International tourism is paralyzed now; however, the desire to travel will increase again. The break can be taken as an opportunity for educating the managers and workers and to develop a new approach to managing tourism destinations with sustainable visions. From the respondest, 30% are only partially satisfied with the changes the UNESCO brought to their cities and towns. This project can help to develop the communication and discussion, to give the real arguments for applications, and advocate the decisions.

Research Team from the Department of Tourism

  • Ing. Zuzana Kvítková, Ph.D.
  • Ing. Zdenka Petrů
  • prof. Ing. Petr Šauer, CSc., dr. h. c.

Implementation period

September 24, 2021 – January 31, 2023