Added to THE LIST: Mayor Ing Jozef Svagerko of Poprad, Slovakia

7 years later the mayor of Poprad and the region succeeded in becoming a major sports tourism region in the Alps.

This beautiful part of Old Europe may very well be one of the last secrets for travel, tourism, and sports, and the mayor of this city actually wants to open the secret to the world.

eTN Publisher Juergen T. Steinmetz visited Poprad earlier this month and met with Mayor Svagerko and Deputy Mayor Mgr. Igor Wzos to explore the potential for the Poprad region in Slovakia to become a global tourism destination.

Poprad is a picturesque historic center in the northern part of Slovakia, which is a member of the European Union and uses euro as its currency. It is the largest town in the holiday region of Spis, with a population of 55,000.

A surprising infrastructure is in place that showcases Poprad as one of the remaining colorful “Old Europe” style regions, yet with sophisticated facilities. The Tatra Electric Railway connects resort villages in the High Tatras and Poprad.

The historical center is concentrated around St. Egidius square (Námestie svätého Egídia), which is rimmed with houses predominantly from the 18th and 19th centuries. Churches in the city include the early Gothic Catholic Church of St. Egidius from the late 13th century.

Another historical center near Poprad is in Spišská Sobota, which was declared in 1953 to be a Town Monument Reserve. A significant landmark there is the Church of St. George, with 5 late-Gothic side altars and a main altar from the workshop of Master Paul of Levoča.

Modern places of interest include a new water park, Aqua City Poprad. Steinmetz stayed at a hotel inside the water park with access to an Olympic-sized, 50-meter pool and a network of outside pools and spa facilities, along with a soccer field and ice-skating arena.

Ing. Sylvia Hruskova, proudly GM of Golf International, showed Steinmetz around the 5-star, 18-hole golf facility.

Mayer Wzos spent his Saturday showing Steinmetz around and explaining his vision for Poprad as an international tourism destination. His vision was impressive, as was his persistency to reach out to the world and promote Poprad as an example of how a dedicated administration and mayor should work.
Besides having accommodation facilities from B&Bs to 5-star resorts, the region boasts world-class ski facilities, hiking trails, sports facilities, and a growing international airport. This region may be the next yet unexplored world-class tourism destination.

The biggest plus about Poprad is that prices are the lowest in the European Union, with one being able to enjoy a nice dinner for a mere 5 euro.

If the Mayor is any indication of the energy and determination behind the push to put Poprad on the world tourism map, then we are going to be hearing a lot more about this unique region that is more than ready to take on the challenge of thrusting Poprad into the tourism limelight. And it is for this reason, that eTN awarded them the honor of being named to THE LIST.

So how does one make it on THE LIST? Anyone can nominate a hotel, destination, attraction, airline, person, cruise, or restaurant based on a best moment or experience. THE LIST is not about rating how “luxurious” something is. It is more about how much something is appreciated or different.