Strategic Management of National Cultural Heritage as a Precondition of Regional Tourism Development During the Pandemic Crisis (the Case-Study Slovakia)

Abstract

Despite the difficulties in which it finds itself in the current pandemic situation, Slovakia has the potential to become an attractive tourist destination, also thanks to many cultural and historical monuments. The purpose of the study was to deal with heritage, especially historical objects and the possibilities of their innovative and sustainable strategic management and to point out certain possibilities of marketing communication using the influence of social media of these promising tourist objects. A survey was conducted using the method of content and situational analysis, as well as a questionnaire method implemented at the level of management of cultural and historical objects. The main results include mainly the necessity to focus marketing strategies in tourism on emphasizing local cultural expressions both to reach new but also domestic audiences and in the future significantly in the context of sustainable cultural tourism. It turns out that the investments are needed in the modernization of historical objects promotion mainly in the social media field for the heritage awareness and attractiveness increase and interest and return of visitors. This creates space also for the involvement of voluntary organizations as an innovative form of communication with the segment of young visitors in the context of personification with the heritage. However, the results of the survey show that mainly the better marketing communication, innovation management, financial and crisis management planning, is needed.