Tourism Cluster and Tourism Destination: Liptov Region, Slovakia

Abstract

In connection with development of tourism areas, some studies based on the concept of clustersappear. The term “cluster” is used in scientific literature to denote a strong tendency for networkingof economic activities and for their spatial concentration. Networks and active participation of individualplayers (municipalities, firms, etc.) of these networks are the core features of clusters. Networkrelationships are particularly important for the sector of tourism, where groups of organizations try tocluster together so as to cooperate and form a tourism destination.The aim of the paper is to present interconnection between (tourism) cluster as a theoretical conceptand the Liptov region as a tourism destination. The first attempt of Slovak tourism cluster establishmentin the region of Liptov is shortly introduced and assessed by describing the crucial players (with their“philosophy” of mass tourism production and consumption). The second part of the paper is connectedwith statistical evaluation of the development of the regional tourism under the influence of the ClusterLiptov.

Keywords

• Fordist mass tourism
• Liptov
• Slovakia
• tourism cluster
• tourism destination