FACULTY OF ECONOMICS, MATEJ BEL UNIVERSITY,

BANSKÁ BYSTRICA

SWOT analysis of Poráčska dolina and its potential for

tourism
(English project for the final exam)

Name: Lucia Katová

Specialization: tourism Year: 2007/2008
Content

Content ..........................................................................................................................2
1. Introduction................................................................................................................2
2. SWOT Analysis..........................................................................................................3
2.1. Strengths..............................................................................................................3
2.2. Weaknesses..........................................................................................................6
2.3. Opportunities.......................................................................................................7
2.4. Threats.................................................................................................................8
3. Suggestions for promotion and informing...............................................................10
4. Potential footpath......................................................................................................11
5. Conclusion................................................................................................................12
Sources.........................................................................................................................13

1. Introduction

My aim in this project is to research Poráčska dolina, its natural and other
potential for tourism. I will analyze strenghts, weaknesses, oportunities and threats of

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this area and i would like to give some suggestions which should help the
improvement of tourism in this area.
Poráčska dolina is a valley located in the east of Slovakia and it creates
natural landmark between Hnilecké mountains in the north and Volovské mountains in
the south.
This area is not really known even among Slovaks so I would also like to
focus on suggesting some kind of promotion and informing.

2. SWOT Analysis
2.1. Strengths
2.1.1. Natural potential

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 Poráčska dolina is extraordinarily beautiful valley, there are also places,
which are untouched by human civilization. Valleys in this area are generally gulleys
and canyons with rocky slopes and with rounded mountain-ridges, very sufficient for
hiking.
Part of Poráčska dolina is national nature preserve. Beauties of Poráčska
dolina are suggesting recreation and a rest from stress. It also includes 25 caves, for
example Šarkaňova cave, or Homološova cave, also spring forths and so called rocky
windows. Caves in here underlie the highest level of nature protection.

Climate
Climate in Poráčska dolina has continental and upland character, so the
weather is usually slightly cold. The slopes on the souths side are warmer and are
used as cottage – territories. A bit colder slopes on the north side would be sufficient
for building a ski resort here.

Flora and fauna

Rich vegetation of Poráčska dolina includes many kinds of plants. Because
of upland climate, there are mostly softwoods. Under trees is easy to find healing
plants such as common agrimony, sage, or slender st. John´s-wort. The woods are also
rich of wild forest fruits for example raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, black
thorns and sweet briars. Varied is also fungus population.
Rough woods create great shelter for various animals. In the territory of
Poráčska dolina live few kinds of protected animals, mostly birds. Fauna here is
formed by common mountain animals, such as fox, roe-deer, squirrel or hart.

2.1.2. Hospitality facilities

There are two possibilities of accommodation in Poráčska dolina. One can

chose accommodation in private cottages, which are rented by their owners. Getting

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information about this kind of accommodation is not easy, so most of visitors are
family members or friends of the owners, or returning tourists. These huts are usually
located near the village Poráč and are situated in romantic and peacefull nature. The
accommodation capacity is usually small (4 – 6 beds in one hut), therefore are huts
suitable for families with children, or pairs. Catering is not included, it has to be
ensured by guests, or guests can cook their meals in the hut, as the kitchen is included
in every of these huts.
Another option is accommodation at Recreational centre Poráčska dolina,
which lies between villages Poráč and Slovinky and offers accommodation for 136
people. This centre contains of few buildings: the main building – tourist guesthouse,
which has 59 beds in double, triple and four-bed rooms with shared bathrooms.
Guesthouse also includes the dayroom with bar and television with capacity of 100
people and a dinningroom for 80 people. The second building, Hut Baník, has 4
double-rooms with seperate bathrooms and the dayroom with bar, biliard and chimney
place with capacity of 35 persons. Last, but not least part of this recreational centre
are six frame-cottages, every of them offers accommodation for 10 people in 4 rooms
(two double rooms and two four-bed rooms) with shared bathroom. Catering in this
centre is included, one can choose breakfast, half-board or full board. In the area of
the centre, there is situated playground for children, volleyball court, football ground
and three fire places with grill and sittings. Centre is in operation all year long, prices
for accommodation are different for every season, as most of tourist come here in
winter and summer. Discounts for organized groups and more then 7 days long stays
are offered. Centre is used mainly for school trips, school ski courses and so on.

2.1.3. Tourist activities

Poráčska dolina offers many possibilities of spending the free time. When
the weather is not favourable, one can spend time in Recreational centre by playing
biliard, table tennis and darts, watching television and DVDs.

Hiking
Poráčska dolina offers beautiful tours through fabulous nature. There are
many options, one can choose challenging and long tours, or just a little walk.
Recreation centre offers also a trip to Šarkaňova cave.

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Cycling
Most of the roads in Poráčska dolina are wide enough for cyclists, but
cycling here always requires certain ammount of venture. It is very sufficient for
cyclists wanting some adrenaline, because cycling here is always an adventure. There
is also cyclo-pelotone organized every year in June, which is attended by hundreds of
people for more than 10 years.

Skiing
At close quarters to Recreational centre are two ski lifts with slope-lengths
500 and 1000 metres. The slopes are secondarilly snowed up and treated. Not far from
there is ski resort Poráč – Brodok, where are three ski lifts and slopes are satisfactory
for skiers in any category.

2.2. Weaknesses

As the main weakness of Poráčska dolina is considered the fact that it is not
known even among Slovaks and this is also a reason why the developement of
tourism here is quite stagnating. I suppose that most of Slovaks who are not from this
region or who have never been here do not even know about existence of Poráčska

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dolina. Therefore it is also predictable that no foreign tourists come to this place for
their holidays.
One of the reasons why Poráčska dolina is not notorious is the fact that there
is no official web-site (or other organized information channel) of this area which
would promote and inform people about this potential holiday locality.

The other weakness of Poráčska dolina is unsufficient infrastructure. The

recreational centre is suitable for youth and modest people, who do not consider the
comfort and high standards to be important. There are higher class accommodation
facilities missing in Poráčska dolina, so there would be nothing to offer to more
difficult customers, who demand higher standard of accommodation and services.
The recreational centre used to operate a swimming pool, but this swimming
pool is destroyed since 1990 and has just disturbing character, because it looks very
unesthetic in this romantic environment. There are also few more weaknesses in the
recreational centre, for example, the furniture in guest rooms is old and quite
overworn, which makes the recreational centre less atractive. The recreational centre
is still not categorized and classified according to established legislation, which is
another weakness of this area.

Existing ski resorts in Poráčska dolina are not very popular, because of the
low capacity and fustiness. Slopes are sufficient enough, but the ski lifts are old and
slow and the capacity is low, the ski resorts here are really small ones. This makes ski
resorts of Poráčska dolina uninteresting, also there is a huge competition by ski resort
Plejsy, which is few kilometres far from Poráčska dolina and is very popular.

The last, but not least weakness of Poráčska dolina is quite difficult
accesibility, the roads to Poráčska dolina are poor and the road signs reffering to
Poráčska dolina are too small, bad situated or they are missing.

2.3. Opportunities

As Poráčska dolina has a huge natural potential, atractive environment and

sufficient climate, there are few oportunities to help the development of tourism in
this area.

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 Building a higher class accommodation facility seems to be a great
opportunity. Operating a higher standard hotel which would provide complete
services in this area could be really advantageous, as there would not be any prime
competition and it would attract also pickier people, which would help the
development of tourism in this locality.

As I have already mentioned, north slopes are sufficient for building new ski
resorts, as existing ski resorts are not adequate, because of low capacity and fustiness.
Renovation of these existing two resorts could be a solution as well. Both of these
solutions would need investors. Ski resorts are a great opportunity as the demand for
the winter holidays is growing and should be growing in next years. There also could
be marked and sustained a cross-country skiing track as the terrain is suitable for it.
I can also see a oportunity in ski rent and ski service.

Expanding the offer of activities by building at least a swimming pool

(wellness centre would be much more sufficient), would surely invite many tourists,
care about their satisfaction with their holidays here and would probably ensure their
return to Poráčska dolina.

I can also see a big opportunity in agrotourism. In the Poráč village, there
are people breeding horses and other domestic animals, so they could provide at least
horse riding, or other agrotouristical activities.

To help the development of cycling in Poráčska dolina, there is an

opportunity of organising meetings of cyclotourists and collective cyclotours or
competitions for mountain bikers. It seems that providing a bike renting would be
helpfull as well.

2.4. Threats

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 Threats are the inseparable part of any SWOT analysis and are the lines to
follow and to preserve the potential of certain locality when any steps of development
are taken.

The greatest potential of Poráčska dolina is its natural potential and

irrational building of hospitality facilities, ski resorts and other facilities could destroy
it completely.
Firstly, there could be a large areas of forests mined out, which could lead to
soil erosions and other problems, such as losing attractivity for hiking and cycling and
so on.
Secondly, if any buildings were built, there should be an effort to make them
blend in this environment, othervise these facilities would have rather disturbing
character, which would decrease the attractivity of this locality. Also building any
facility could disrupt the places which are still untouched by human civilization and
are very rare nowadays.

There is also a threat of mass tourism, which comes with overpopulating,

overbuilding and pollution. These three aspects would probably destroy all the natural
potential and beauty of Poráčska dolina.

Another threat is the global warming. As there is suitable environment for

building ski resorts in Poráčska dolina, global warming could threaten development of
tourism here, if there were any climate changes coming on in next few years, because
the climate could not be sufficient enough for winter sports anymore.

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3. Suggestions for promotion and informing

I have already mentioned the main problem and the biggest weakness of
Poráčska dolina, which is the fact that people are uninformed about Poráčska dolina
ant its potential. One of the reasons of this situation seems to be the fact that there is
no official web page about Poráčska dolina, which would give any information about
this fabulous area and various options of recreation here. Providing an official website
in few different languages would probably cause increasing the number of tourists
coming to this territory.
As Internet is the multimedium number one of this century and nowadays
most of people get all informations from there, I would recommend promotion at the
arvetising portals and chats. Also sending promotional e-mails with photographs and
pictures could be a good way how to inform people about their opportunities and
possibilities of recreation and resting in such beautiful environment.
Releasing calendars with pictures and few information about Poráčska
dolina could be a good idea as well.
In many cases a documentary movie was a moving power for tourists to visit
new places, so I guess that it could be a good way of promotion and informing people
about huge potential of Poráčska dolina too.

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4. Potential footpath

Official tourist footpath Krompachy - Poráč – 15 km

Official tourist footpath Poráč-Čierny bocian – 7 km
Suggested footpath Čierny bocian-Krompachy – 8 km

I would suggest the footpath from Čierny bocian (which is a recreational

centre as well) to Krompachy (which is famous for ski resort Plejsy, which is visited
by many tourists from all over the world, mainly from Poland, Russia and Ukraine) to
become official, because it would complete one of the ways from Poráč to
Krompachy. The footpath is absolutely walkable, domestic people know about it and
use it as a way to Čierny bocian for ages. But for a tourist an unsigned footpath might
look dangerous, unsteady and nowhere-leading. If this footpath appeared on tourist
maps, it would considerably help tourists with orientation and it could also have
a possitive effect on tourism not even in Poráčska dolina but also in Krompachy and
whole region. This is a reason why I consider making this footpath official quite
important.

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5. Conclusion

Poráčska dolina hides huge potential for tourism. Its nature, climate, fauna
and flora create more than favourable conditions for recreation. There are few
possibilities of accomodation and catering.
Poráčska dolina offers beautiful tours, and many other sport activities, skiing
during the winter and cycling and playing ball games during the rest of the year.
The infrastructural sphere has many weaknesses for example low capacity of
ski resorts and no higher class accommodation.
There are few oportunities of development of tourism here, e.g. agrotourism,
renovating and building new tourist facilities, improvement of services provided.
The awareness of environmental threats and results of mass tourism is
necessary.

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Sources
1. Poráčska dolina, http://www.slovenskyraj.sk/vylety/pdolina/pdolina.html, available
on Internet on January 6th 2008

2. Waresová a kolektív, Poráčska dolina, Junior Achievement Project 2004

3. Rekreačné stredisko Poráčska dolina,

http://www.slovenskyraj.sk/poracskadolina.html, available on Internet on January 6th
2008

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